Russian billionaire says the proceeds of the sale will go to a foundation dedicated to victims of the war in Ukraine.
Russian businessman Roman Abramovich said he has decided to sell Chelsea Football Club, 19 years after buying the London side, and promised to donate money from the sale to help victims of the war in Ukraine.
Amid calls for Abramovich to be hit by sanctions after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the 55-year-old metals magnate said in a statement that a sale was in the best interests of the reigning European and world football champions.
“I have always taken decisions with the club’s best interest at heart,” Abramovich said in a statement published on Chelsea’s website.
“In the current situation, I have therefore taken the decision to sell the club, as I believe this is in the best interest of the club, the fans, the employees, as well as the club’s sponsors and partners.”
Abramovich said he would not ask for loans he has made to the club – reported to total 1.5 billion pounds ($2bn) – to be repaid to him and the sale would not be fast-tracked.
He said he had told his aides to set up a charitable foundation that would receive all net proceeds from the sale.
“I have instructed my team to set up a charitable foundation where all net proceeds from the sale will be donated,” he said in his statement on the club’s website.
“The foundation will be for the benefit of all victims of the war in Ukraine. This includes providing critical funds towards the urgent and immediate needs of victims, as well as supporting the long-term work of recovery.”
Prospective buyers
Swiss billionaire Hansjoerg Wyss said earlier that he is interested in buying the club, but not on his own.
“Abramovich is currently trying to sell all his villas in England. He also wants to get rid of Chelsea quickly now. I, along with three other people, received an offer on Tuesday to buy Chelsea from Abramovich,” Blick quoted Wyss as saying in an interview published on Wednesday.
The Russian billionaire bought the West London club in 2003 and his investment has helped produce the most successful era in the team’s history – winning five Premier League titles, five FA Cups and the Champions League twice.
Abramovich, who also has Israeli and Portuguese citizenship, became one of Russia’s most powerful businessmen by earning fabulous fortunes after the 1991 breakup of the Soviet Union. Forbes has put his net worth at $13.3bn.
Ukraine officials say at least two more people killed, over a dozen injured as intense shelling continues to batter Kharkiv city and district.
More than 70 Ukrainian servicemen were killed when Russian troops shelled a military base in the town of Okhtyrka in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region on Monday, regional governor Dmytro Zhyvytskyy said on Facebook.
Ukraine’s military says situation around Kyiv “remains tense,” says Russian forces inflicting damage despite “losing offensive potential.”
Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly will head to the Poland-Ukraine border to ensure the latest supply of military aid arrives in the region.
New satellite images show a Russian military convoy over 60 kilometres long headed toward Kyiv
Russian forces continued to batter one of Ukraine’s largest cities on Tuesday, killing at least two more people as international pressure on Moscow to withdraw its invasion continued to grow.
After an initial round of ceasefire talks a day earlier failed to yield any progress, Ukraine’s state emergency service said over a dozen more people in Kharkiv and the surrounding district had been injured and several homes and businesses were damaged by shelling and resulting fires.
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Video circulated showing a missile striking what appeared to be a government building in the centre of the city. Casualties were not immediately clear.
Missile attack on the Kharkiv regional administration, Sumska 64. Grad shelling at residential areas. Putin now in total war with Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/eXyfA4E4YI
The military said the situation around the capital of Kyiv “remains tense” as a huge military convoy, estimated to be nearly 65 kilometres long, drew closer to the city.
At the same time, Russia’s economy is beginning to see the impact of harsh Western sanctions, with multiple industries cancelling sporting and entertainment events in the country.
“Evil armed with missiles, bombs and artillery must be stopped immediately,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a late night address just before midnight Tuesday.
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“Destroy the economy, to show that humanity knows how to defend itself.”
From comedian to commander-in-chief: the rise of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
From comedian to commander-in-chief: the rise of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Ukraine’s military said early Tuesday that Russian forces are continuing to inflict damages on multiple targets across the country, including civilian areas, despite “losing offensive potential.”
Air raid sirens sounded at multiple times in Kyiv and other cities throughout the night before dawn broke Tuesday.
There are still no signs that Russian President Vladimir Putin will call an end to the invasion he launched last Thursday despite the international pressure. Still, a first round of potential peace talks were held, though it appeared little progress was made.
Ukraine wants an immediate ceasefire and the withdrawal of Russian forces, the Ukrainian president’s office said earlier in the day Monday. Vladimir Medinsky headed the Russian delegation in Belarus, and said the two sides “found certain points on which common positions could be foreseen.” The Kremlin has declined to comment on its goals.
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Another round of talks will happen in the “coming days on the Polish-Belarusian border,” Medinsky said. Mykhailo Podolyak, a top adviser to Zelenskyy, gave few details on the talks but said a second round could take place “in the near future.”
Members of delegations from Ukraine and Russia, including Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky (2L), Ukrainian presidential aide Mykhailo Podolyak (2R), Volodymyr Zelensky’s “Servant of the People” lawmaker Davyd Arakhamia (3R), hold talks in Belarus’ Gomel region on February 28, 2022, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Sergei Kholodilin/Belta/AFP via Getty Images
Ukraine ceasefire talks with Russia to continue
Ukraine ceasefire talks with Russia to continue
Meanwhile in Ukraine, Zelenskyy announced he had signed an official request for the nation to join the European Union. EU leaders could discuss Ukraine’s application at an informal summit in March, a senior EU official told Reuters.
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A Polish government spokesperson said Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki will discuss support for Ukraine joining the EU with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels on Tuesday.
In his late night address, Zelenskyy condemned Russia’s role in the United Nations Security Council, whose revolving door presidency is currently held by Russia — something Zelenskyy said should not be permitted for a country that commits war crimes.
He also called for the establishment of a no-fly zone over Ukraine, which the United States has already ruled out due to the potential of creating a direct confrontation between Moscow and NATO.
Five days into the conflict, Russian forces have seized two small cities in southeastern Ukraine, and the Zaporizhzhya area, which is home to a nuclear power plant, the Interfax news agency said on Monday. Ukraine has denied the nuclear plant has fallen into Russian hands, according to the news agency.
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Russian forces are closing in on Ukraine’s capital of Kyiv, but have yet to take the city. Ukrainian resistance has been stiff throughout the country.
A decree signed by the Ukrainian president that takes effect Tuesday has lifted the requirement for entry visas for any foreigner willing to join Ukraine’s International Defense Legion and fight on Ukraine’s side against Russian troops.
New satellite images from Maxar show a Russian military convoy headed toward the capital city that the space technology company says is nearly 65 kilometres long — much larger than the 27 kilometres the company had estimated earlier in the day.
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Satellite photos show Russian military convoy over 60 km long headed toward Kyiv
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This picture shows Russian infantry mobility vehicles GAZ Tigr destroyed as a result of fight in Kharkiv, located some 50 kilometres from the Ukrainian-Russian border on Feb. 28.
Sergey Bobok/AFP via Getty Images
Monday’s talks were held on the border with strong Russian ally Belarus, where a referendum on Sunday approved a new constitution ditching the country’s non-nuclear status at a time when the former Soviet republic has become a launchpad for Russian troops invading Ukraine.
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Despite the peace talks, Russian shelling killed 11 Ukrainians and injured dozens more in Kharkiv on Monday morning, according to Ukrainian officials.
Kharkiv is Ukraine’s second largest city and has been able to hold off Russian forces intent on capturing it. The city is approximately 50 kilometres away from the Russian border and is home to 1.4 million people.
“Control over Kharkiv is completely ours! The armed forces, the police, and the defence forces are working, and the city is being completely cleansed of the enemy,” regional governor Oleh Sinegubov wrote on Telegram, according to Reuters.
More than 70 Ukrainian servicemen were also killed when Russian troops shelled a military base in the town of Okhtyrka in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region on Monday, regional governor Dmytro Zhyvytskyy said on Facebook Tuesday.
EU must decrease its dependency on Russian oil and gas, Borrell says
EU must decrease its dependency on Russian oil and gas, Borrell says
A senior U.S. intelligence official told The Associated Press that Belarus is expected to send troops into Ukraine as soon as Monday to fight alongside Russian forces.
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The American official has direct knowledge of current U.S. intelligence assessments and said the decision by Belarus’ leader on whether to bring Belarus further into the war depends on the talks between Russia and Ukraine. The official spoke anonymously to discuss the sensitive information.
Amid the development, the U.S. State Department closed the U.S. Embassy in Belarus and is allowing non-essential staff at the U.S. Embassy in Russia to leave the country due to the war in Ukraine. Meanwhile, as tensions mount, 12 Russian diplomats at the United Nations were expelled by the U.S. over national security concerns.
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The Western-led response to the invasion has been sweeping, with sanctions effectively cutting off Moscow’s major financial institutions from Western markets. Countries have also stepped up weapons supplies to Ukraine.
There was fighting around the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol overnight, said Pavlo Kyrylenko, head of the Donetsk regional administration, on Monday. He did not say whether Russian forces had gained or lost any ground in the region.
Tensions continue to escalate as Russian troops approach Kyiv
Tensions continue to escalate as Russian troops approach Kyiv
As the conflict rages on resulting in civilian casualties, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court said he would proceed with opening an investigation into alleged war crimes in Ukraine.
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At least 102 civilians in Ukraine have been killed since Thursday, with roughly 304 wounded, but the actual figure is feared to be “considerably higher,” UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet said on Monday.
Ukraine’s ambassador to the U.S. said Russia used a vacuum bomb on Monday, adding that it is “prohibited by the Geneva convention”.
“The devastation that Russia is trying to inflict on Ukraine is large,” Ambassador Oksana Markarova said after a meeting with lawmakers.
A senior U.S. defence official said Russia has fired more than 350 missiles at Ukrainian targets since Thursday, some hitting civilian infrastructure.
As the conflict continues, more than half a million people have fled to neighbouring countries, according to the UN Refugee Agency. Poland said Tuesday over 350,000 refugees have crossed the border from Ukraine over the past five days.
Allies with the NATO defence alliance are providing Ukraine with air-defence missiles and anti-tank weapons, chief Jens Stoltenberg said in a tweet on Monday.
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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Canada will send anti-tank weapons and upgraded ammunition to support Ukraine. This is in addition to the $7.8 million worth of lethal aid the federal government sent earlier this month.
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At a news conference on Monday, Trudeau added that Canada also plans to prohibit all imports of Russian crude oil — a commodity he said has enriched Putin and the Russian oligarchs surrounding him.
The response has not been limited to Western governments. Movie studios Disney, Warner Bros. and Sony announced they will suspend theatrical releases in Russia, while Russian soccer teams have been suspended from all international matches, including World Cup qualifiers.
The Kremlin has accused the European Union of hostile behaviour, saying weapons shipments to Ukraine are destabilizing and proved Russia was right in its efforts to demilitarize its neighbour.
It refused to say whether there was a risk of confrontation between Russia and NATO. Russia has demanded NATO never admit Ukraine to the alliance.
This photograph shows a view of a school destroyed as a result of fight not far from the centre of Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, located some 50 kilometres from the Ukrainian-Russian border on Feb. 28.
Sergey Bobok/AFP via Getty Images
The European Union slapped sanctions on 26 more Russians, including oligarchs, senior officials and an energy insurance company, in response to the country’s invasion of Ukraine, bringing the total number of people targeted to 680.
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Elsewhere in Europe, Germany said it would increase defence spending massively, casting off decades of reluctance to match its economic power with military strength. Switzerland, a historically neutral country in the continent, announced on Monday it will adopt European Union sanctions against Russians involved in the invasion and freeze their assets.
In Moscow, the ruble dropped in value after Western nations on Saturday introduced sweeping sanctions including blocking some Russian banks from the SWIFT international payments system.
Russia’s central bank has scrambled to manage the broadening fallout, indicating it would resume buying gold on the domestic market, launch a repurchase auction with no limits, and ease restrictions on banks’ open foreign currency positions.
A view of a wreckage after a missile hit buildings as Russian attacks continue in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv on Feb. 28.
Aytac Unal/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
It also ordered brokers to block attempts by foreigners to sell Russian securities. Western nations have promised more sanctions unless Russia de-escalates its war with Ukraine.
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On Monday, Ottawa announced it’s prohibiting all Canadian financial institutions from engaging in any transactions with Russia’s central bank. Canada is also imposing an asset freeze and a dealings prohibition on Russian sovereign wealth funds.
The move follows the United States’ decision to block Americans from engaging in any transactions involving Russia’s central bank, National Wealth Fund and the finance ministry.
The action “immobilizes” any assets Russia’s central bank holds America that will in a move that will hinder Russia’s ability to access hundreds of billions of dollars in assets, a senior U.S. official said.
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Over the weekend, the European Union shut all Russian planes out of its airspace, as did Canada, forcing Russian airline Aeroflot to cancel all flights to European destinations until further notice. Russia responded on Monday by closing its airspace to carriers from 36 nations, including European countries and Canada.
U.S. President Joe Biden held a call with allies and partners on Monday to coordinate a further united response, the White House said.
Minister Joly demands end to Russian invasion of Ukraine, says world has responsibility to act
Minister Joly demands end to Russian invasion of Ukraine, says world has responsibility to act
Russia calls its actions in Ukraine a “special operation” that it says is not designed to occupy territory, but to destroy its southern neighbour’s military capabilities and capture what it regards as dangerous nationalists.
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In the weeks leading up to the war, Moscow had built up roughly 150,000 troops near the border, and continuously denied Western accusations it was planning an invasion of Ukraine.
— with files from Reuters and The Associated Press.
Google Maps has temporarily disabled tools that provide live information about traffic conditions and how busy different places are in Ukraine due to safety concerns.
A referendum in Belarus on Sunday approved a new constitution ditching the country’s non-nuclear status as the country has become launch pad for Russian troops.
European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen told Euronews that the EU wants Ukraine to join the bloc, saying, “They’re one of us.”
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Sunday declined to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, saying Brazil would remain neutral.
Ukraine’s president warned Sunday evening that the next 24 hours are crucial for the country facing a Russian invasion that is attacking from “all directions.”
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy gave the notice to U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson in a phone conversation, according to a Johnson spokesperson.
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Ukraine’s armed forces said Sunday that the day has been a “difficult time” for the military and Russian troops “continue shelling in almost all directions,” a description also used by the Kremlin.
As Ukraine battles, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his nuclear-armed forces to be put on high alert, escalating fears of a nuclear war despite Ukraine confirming an agreement to hold talks with Moscow.
In giving the nuclear alert directive on Sunday, Putin cited “aggressive statements” by NATO members and wide-ranging economic sanctions imposed by the Western nations against Russia, including the Russian leader himself.
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The alert means Putin has ordered Russia’s nuclear weapons prepared for increased readiness to launch — a move that was swiftly condemned by the United States.
“President Putin is continuing to escalate this war in a manner that is totally unacceptable, and we have to continue to stem his actions in the strongest possible way,” U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield told CBS.
On Sunday, a referendum in Belarus approved a new constitution that ditches the country’s non-nuclear status, opening the door for nuclear weapons to be placed in the country for first time since it gave them up after the fall of the Soviet Union.
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Meanwhile, there appeared to be some progress on the diplomatic front after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office said delegations from both sides had agreed to a meeting at the Ukrainian-Belarusian border.
The talks, the first since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Thursday, would be held without preconditions at an unspecified location on the Belarusian border, Zelenskyy’s office said in a statement on Sunday.
Zelenskyy, though, said that he doesn’t “really believe” in the outcome of the meeting but it is worth an attempt so there is no doubt that he “tried to stop the war.”
The U.N. Security Council has also approved an emergency session in the General Assembly on Monday concerning the invasion. As the council’s vote was procedural, Russia could not use its veto.
‘Nothing is off the table with this guy:’ U.N. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield on Putin
‘Nothing is off the table with this guy:’ U.N. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield on Putin
The announcement came as Russian forces rolled into Ukraine’s second-largest city of Kharkiv.
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A fierce battle was underway Sunday in Kharkiv, where Russian troops blew up a natural gas pipeline before daybreak, according to the Ukrainian state agency.
“The Russian enemy’s light vehicles have broken into Kharkiv, including the city centre,” regional Governor Oleh Sinegubov said, urging civillians to remain inside.
Heavy fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces erupted in Kharkiv following intensive overnight exchanges of rocket artillery, U.K.’s Ministry of Defense said in an update on Twitter.
Russia-Ukraine conflict: What is Putin’s endgame?
Russia-Ukraine conflict: What is Putin’s endgame?
Until Sunday, Russian troops had remained on the outskirts of Kharkiv, a city of 1.4 million about 20 km (12.4 miles) south of the border with Russia, while other forces moved their offensive deeper into Ukraine.
Meanwhile, in the capital Kyiv, where a curfew has been extended until Monday, clashes have subsided and Ukrainian forces were resisting the Russian offence.
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“Russian forces are continuing to advance into Ukraine from multiple axis (sp) but are continuing to be met with stiff resistance from the Ukrainian Armed Forces,” Britain’s defence ministry said.
As of Sunday, both Kyiv and Kharkiv remained in Ukrainian hands.
The conflict has created a swell of refugees at European borders, with queues at crossings stretching for kilometres and nearly 400,000 people seeking safety abroad.
Women pass by the apartment block in 6A Lobanovsky Avenue which was hit with a missile on February 26, 2022 in Kyiv, Ukraine.
Getty Images
After weeks of warnings from Western leaders, Putin launched the invasion of Ukraine on Thursday from the north, east and south.
Putin has justified the invasion, saying “neo-Nazis” rule Ukraine and threaten Russia’s security — a charge Kyiv and Western governments say is baseless propaganda.
Before invading, Putin had demanded that Ukraine not be allowed to join NATO. However, the conflict has since brought the country closer to NATO allies, with European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen also saying the EU would like Ukraine to join its bloc.
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“They’re one of us,” she told Euronews.
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For the first time since the start of the invasion, the Russian military said that some of its troops were killed and wounded in Ukraine, without mentioning any numbers.
Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said Sunday that the Russian forces have hit 1,067 Ukrainian military facilities, including 27 command posts and communication centers, 38 air defense missile system and 56 radar stations.
At least 352 civilians, including 14 children, have been killed so far and 1,684 have been wounded, including 116 children, according to Ukraine’s health ministry.
Ukraine, for its part, has claimed that its forces killed 3,500 Russian troops.
Claims from both sides have not been independently confirmed.
Airspace ban
As Europe’s largest ground war since the Second World War rages on, a Russian delegation of military officials and diplomats arrived in neighbouring Belarus offering talks with Ukraine.
Zelenskyy said his country was open to peace talks but had earlier rejected Russia’s offer, saying Belarus had been complicit in the invasion and instead suggested alternative locations.
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Putin hasn’t disclosed his ultimate plans, but Western officials believe he is determined to overthrow Ukraine’s government and replace it with a regime of his own, redrawing the map of Europe and reviving Moscow’s Cold War-era influence.
In response to the Russian aggression, the United States, Canada and other NATO allies have sent weapons and other aid to Ukraine, which is not a NATO member. Canada announced an additional $25 million in non-lethal aid and airlift support on Sunday, while the U.K. has opened £40 million more and Australia has promised US$3 million.
NATO allies have also slapped Russia with a string of economic sanctions, freezing the assets of Russian businesses and individuals including Putin and his foreign minister.
On Sunday, Canada, Germany, France, Spain and Italy joined the U.K., the Nordics and Baltic states in shutting their airspace to Russian planes.
“Effective immediately, Canada’s airspace is closed to all Russian aircraft operators,” Canada’s Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said on Twitter
“We will hold Russia accountable for its unprovoked attacks against Ukraine.”
Effective immediately, Canada’s airspace is closed to all Russian aircraft operators. We will hold Russia accountable for its unprovoked attacks against Ukraine.
Following is a summary of current science news briefs.
NASA shrugs off Roscosmos leader’s rant over U.S. sanctions and space station
NASA on Friday shrugged off public comments from the head of its Russian counterpart suggesting U.S. sanctions imposed against Moscow over the Ukraine crisis could “destroy” U.S.-Russian teamwork on the International Space Station (ISS). Dmitry Rogozin, director-general of Russian space agency Roscosmos, took to Twitter on Thursday denouncing new constraints on high-tech exports to Russia that U.S. President Joe Biden said were designed to “degrade their aerospace industry, including their space program.”
Fossil of dinosaur with hard head and tiny arms found in Argentina
Scientists have unearthed in Argentina the remains of a previously unknown species of meat-eating dinosaur that lived about 70 million years ago that had puny arms and may have used its powerful head to ram its prey. The fossil skull of the Cretaceous Period dinosaur, named Guemesia ochoai, was discovered in Argentina’s northwestern Salta province. The researchers said it likely belongs to a carnivorous group of dinosaurs called abelisaurs, which walked on two legs and possessed only stub-like arms, even shorter than those of North America’s Tyrannosaurus rex.
A senior U.S. defence official says the United States estimates that more than 50 per cent of Russian combat power arrayed along Ukraine’s borders has entered Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says his country’s armed forces are successfully fighting back against Russian troops
Ukrainian Health Minister Viktor Lyashko said Saturday that 198 people have been killed and more than 1,000 others have been wounded in the Russian offensive
Hungary says it’ll take in Ukranian refugees
The latest on Russia and Ukraine from Canada and around the world Saturday. This file will be updated throughout the day. Web links to longer stories if available.
11:21 a.m.: A senior U.S. defence official says the United States estimates that more than 50 per cent of Russian combat power arrayed along Ukraine’s borders has entered Ukraine. That is up from a U.S. estimate Friday that one-third of the Russian force had been committed to the fight.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal U.S. assessments, would not say how many Russian troops that amounts to inside Ukraine, but the U.S. had estimated the total Russian force arrayed near Ukraine at more than 150,000.
The official said advancing Russian forces were roughly 30 kilometres outside Kyiv as of Saturday, and that an unspecified number of Russian military “reconnaissance elements” had entered the capital.
Meanwhile, Britain’s Defense Ministry said Saturday that “the speed of the Russian advance has temporarily slowed likely as a result of acute logistical difficulties and strong Ukrainian resistance.”
Russian troops pressed toward Ukraine’s capital Saturday, after a night of explosions and street fighting that sent Kyiv residents seeking shelter underground. (The Associated Press)
“Russian forces are bypassing major Ukrainian population centres while leaving forces to encircle and isolate them,” the ministry said.
11:10 a.m.: Canada’s Minister of Science, Innovation and Industry François-Philippe Champagne said that he is looking into concerns that some gas providers might be exploiting the Ukranian crisis to raise prices.
“If there is evidence of unlawful behaviour in the marketplace, I will use all the tools at my disposal to help make life more affordable for Canadians,” he wrote on Twitter Saturday.
11 a.m.: Russian airliners continue to fly through Canadian skies after several European countries shut their airspace to Russian carriers in response to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine — but Ottawa is keeping all options on the table.
Transport Minister Omar Alghabra says in a statement that Canada’s airspace remains open to Russian airlines “at this time,” but that the department is actively monitoring the situation and working with the United States and other key allies.
Russia’s flagship carrier Aeroflot operates multiple flights per day through Canadian airspace en route to the United States and beyond.
Aerospace consultant Ross Aimer says the passage marks a critical route for the airline, and that Russia would almost certainly retaliate to flyover bans in kind.
On Thursday, the United Kingdom suspended Aeroflot’s foreign carrier permit, with Poland, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic following suit by closing their airspace to Russian planes.
Launched this week, Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine closed in on the capital of Kyiv on Saturday as troops struck the country from three sides.
9:25 a.m.: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has told a news conference in the border town of Beregsurany that Hungary is accepting all citizens and legal residents of Ukraine, regardless of whether they are subject to military conscription into the Ukrainian armed forces.
“We’re letting everyone in,” Orban said. “I’ve seen people who have no travel documents, but we’re providing them too with travel documents. And we’re also allowing in those who have arrived from third countries after the proper screening.”
Several thousand refugees fleeing Ukraine have crossed into Hungary in recent days, entering through five border crossings along Hungary’s 137-kilometer (85-mile) border with Ukraine.
Hungary under Orban has in recent years firmly opposed all forms of immigration.
Regarded as Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest ally in the European Union, Orban has pursued close economic and diplomatic ties with the Kremlin. But he said that Russia’s invasion of Hungary’s neighbour would likely cause changes in his relationship with Putin, and that Hungary was supporting all proposed sanctions against Moscow at the European level.
9:05 a.m.: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy tweeted Saturday saying that Turkey has banned Russian warships from the passage to the Black Sea, while also providing “significant military and humanitarian support” to Ukraine.
8:55 a.m.: China is the only friend that might help Russia blunt the impact of economic sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine, but President Xi Jinping’s government is giving no sign it might be willing to risk its own access to U.S. and European markets by doing too much. Beijing’s ability to support President Vladimir Putin by importing more Russian gas and other goods is limited.
Relations with Moscow have warmed under Xi, motivated by shared resentment of Washington. The United States and the 27-nation European Union promised crippling trade and financial penalties after Moscow’s invasion. Experts say Xi’s government might support Putin within those limits but will balk at openly violating sanctions and being targeted for penalties.
8:52 a.m.: Russia claims its assault on Ukraine is aimed only at military targets, but civilians have been killed and injured during Europe’s largest ground war since World War II.
Ukrainian Health Minister Viktor Lyashko said Saturday that 198 people have been killed and more than 1,000 others have been wounded in the Russian offensive. It was not clear whether the figure in his statement included both military and civilians.
He said a further 1,115 people, including 33 children, were wounded in the Russian invasion.
A missile struck a highrise apartment building in the city’s southwestern outskirts near one of Kyiv’s two passenger airports, Mayor Klitchsko said, leaving a jagged hole of ravaged apartments over several floors. A rescue worker said six civilians were injured.
After 8 p.m. on Friday, a large boom was heard near Maidan Nezalezhnosti, the square in central Kyiv. And the mayor said five explosions struck near a major power plant just outside the city. The causes of the explosions was not immediately known.
8:50 a.m.: Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov claimed Saturday that since the start of Russia’s attack, its military had hit 821 Ukrainian military facilities, 87 tanks and other targets.
Konashenkov didn’t say how many Ukrainian troops were killed and didn’t mention any casualties on the Russian side. Neither his claims nor Ukraine’s allegations that its forces killed thousands of Russian troops could be independently verified.
Konashenkov claimed that the Russian military has taken full control of the southern city of Melitopol, about 35 kilometres inland from the Azov Sea coast, and said Russia-backed separatists have made significant gains in the eastern region of Donbas.
8:50 a.m.: Kyiv officials are warning residents that street fighting is underway against Russian forces. They advised residents to remain in shelters or if home to avoid going near windows or onto balconies, and to take precautions against being hit by debris or bullets.
The Ukrainian military said a battle was underway near a military unit to the west of the city centre. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said new explosions shook the area near a major power plant that the Russians were trying to attack.
A missile slammed into a highrise building on the southwestern outskirts of Kyiv, Klitschko said Saturday. He said rescue workers were heading there and posted an image on a messaging app, showing a gaping hole on one side of the building.
8:45 a.m.: Ahead of a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda in Berlin Saturday afternoon, Poland’s prime minister has urged Germany to put aside “selfishness” and “egoism” and offer substantive support to the people of Ukraine.
“Nothing is going to stop Putin if we are not decisive enough,” Mateusz Morawiecki said in Berlin. “This is a very historic moment… we have no time to lose.”
Morawiecki said Germany’s aid thus far — of military helmets, not weapons — is a far cry from what’s necessary to help Ukraine defend itself.
“What kind of help was delivered to Ukraine? Five thousand helmets? This must be a joke,” Morawiecki said.
He added that the sanctions on Russia need to be “crushing,” calling for the exclusion of Russia from the SWIFT global financial system and for measures targeting Putin himself, oligarchs who back him, and Russian business more broadly.
8:43 a.m.: Slovakia’s defence minister says up to 1,200 foreign troops from other NATO members could be deployed in his country in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The plan is part of the NATO initiative to reassure member countries on the alliance’s eastern flank by sending forces to help protect them. Slovakia borders Ukraine.
Defense Minister Jaroslav Nad said forces from the Netherlands and Germany are among those expected to come. Germany will also provide the Patriot system to boost Slovakia’s air defence.
The country’s government and Parliament have not yet approved the plan.
Nad also sadi his country’s government has approved sending arms and fuel worth 11 million euros ($12.4 million) requested by Ukraine. The aid will include 10 million litres (2.6 million gallons) of fuel, 2.4 million litres (630,000 gallons) of aviation fuel and 12,000 pieces of ammunition.
8:27 a.m.: Russian President Vladimir Putin is the latest target of sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine, with the United States, Canada and European allies announcing they are adding direct measures against him and his foreign minister. Russia on Saturday warned it could react by opting out of its last remaining nuclear arms pact and cutting diplomatic ties.
With Russian forces on the outskirts of Ukraine’s capital, diplomatic appeals appeared to come second to imposing financial pain on Russia as global condemnation — and frustration — grew.
“This war will last, and all the crises that go with it will have durable consequences,” French President Emmanuel Macron said.
Acknowledging the same, the Biden administration said it was sending Ukraine up to $350 million in arms and other defensive supplies from U.S. Department of Defense stockpiles, with another $250 million in defensive support possible. The Czech Republic also approved a plan to send more arms to Ukraine.
8:22 a.m.: From Tokyo to London to Taipei, Ukrainians living abroad and hundreds of protesters have turned out on the streets to join anti-war rallies spreading around the world as Russia’s troops pressed toward Ukraine’s capital.
Several hundred Ukrainians living in Japan gathered outside of Tokyo’s main train stations Saturday, chanting “Stop war!” and “Peace for Ukraine.” They held up signs including “No war,” “Stop Putin, Stop Russia,” while others waved Ukrainian flags. At a separate rally reportedly organized by Russian residents in Japan, several dozen people chanted “Hands off Ukraine!”
In Taiwan, more than 100 demonstrators chanting “Stand with Ukraine” and “Glory to Ukraine” protested outside the Russian representative office in Taiwan on Saturday.
8:20 a.m.: The U.S. is seriously considering whether to seek Russia’s expulsion from the SWIFT financial messaging system over Ukraine invasion as allies in Europe warm to the idea of imposing a penalty that seemed unlikely just days ago, according to people familiar with the matter.
Biden administration officials are now debating whether to push for a directive from the European Union needed to ban Russia from SWIFT, though a U.S. and EU decision is not imminent, according to the people. Officials are discussing the matter with the Federal Reserve, which sits on SWIFT’s oversight body, two of the people said. Another person said talks have commenced with the European Commission.
The discussions by the U.S. mark a change in course after President Joe Biden said he was holding off because European allies had voiced concerns over the risk such a move posed to their economies.
But as Russian President Vladimir Putin continues a full-scale invasion of Ukraine that’s now advancing on Kyiv, officials in the U.S. and Europe are seeking tougher consequences against Moscow on top of the sanctions they’ve already unveiled.
All of the people discussed the matter on condition of anonymity to describe private deliberations. The U.S. National Security Council press office and Fed spokeswoman Michelle Smith declined to comment.
The chances of a move on SWIFT have been a moving target, and the likelihood remains unclear. While previously a faint prospect, the measure has grown more likely in the past few days, the people said, fuelling the belief that it now could happen, though they stopped short of predicting it would.
7:48 a.m.: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says his country’s armed forces are successfully fighting back against Russian troops.
Zelenskyy said in a video released Saturday that Russian attempts to forge into Kyiv have been repelled and Moscow’s plan to quickly seize the capital and install a puppet government has been thwarted. In an emotional speech, he accused the Russian forces of hitting civilian areas and infrastructure.
Zelenskyy pushed for Ukraine’s urgent ascension to the European Union, saying he discussed the issue with the EU leaders. He also urged cutting Russia from the SWIFT international electronic bank payment system, noting that Germany and Hungary should show “courage” and agree to the move.
7:47 a.m.: Italian Premier Mario Draghi has called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to make clear the Italian government supports any moves to cut Russia off from the SWIFT international payment system.
A day earlier, Draghi’s finance minister raised doubts Italy would go along with such a move because that would complicate payments to the Russians for natural gas. Italy gets some 45% of its gas from Russia.
7:45 a.m.: Russian troops pressed toward Ukraine’s capital Saturday after a night of explosions and street fighting sent Kyiv residents seeking shelter underground. The country’s leader refused an American offer to evacuate, insisting he would stay. “The fight is here,” President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
It was not immediately clear how far Russian troops had advanced. Ukrainian officials reported some success in fending off assaults, but fighting persisted near the capital. Skirmishes reported on the edge of the city suggested that small Russian units were trying to clear a path for the main forces.
Russia claims its assault on Ukraine is aimed only at military targets, but civilians have been killed and injured during Europe’s largest ground war since World War II.
A missile struck a highrise apartment building in the city’s southwestern outskirts near one of Kyiv’s two passenger airports, Mayor Vitali Klitchsko said, leaving a jagged hole of ravaged apartments over several floors. A rescue worker said six civilians were injured. The mayor extended a 10 p.m.-7 a.m. curfew he imposed two days to run from 5 p.m. until 8 a.m. as of Saturday.
Saturday’s street clashes followed two days of massive air and missile strikes as Russian soldiers moved in from the north, east and south. The assault pummeled bridges, schools and residential neighbourhoods, and resulted in hundreds of casualties.
It was unclear in the fog of war how much of Ukraine was still under Ukrainian control and how much Russian forces have seized. Russia’s defence ministry claimed the Russian military had taken full control of the southern city of Melitopol, about 35 kilometres inland from the Azov Sea coast, and said Russia-backed separatists had made significant gains in the eastern region of Donbas.
Ukrainian and Western officials, however, say Ukrainian forces have managed to slow the Russian advance. Ukraine’s Infrastructure Ministry said a Russian missile was shot down before dawn Saturday as it headed for the dam of the sprawling water reservoir that serves Kyiv.
Western officials believe Russian President Vladimir Putin is determined to overthrow Ukraine’s government and replace it with a regime of his own. The invasion represented Putin’s boldest effort yet to redraw the map of Europe and revive Moscow’s Cold War-era influence. It triggered new international efforts to end the invasion, including direct sanctions on Putin.
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Ukraine’s military said it stopped a Russian attack on a military base in the capital of Kyiv. The military also said it shot down two more Russian aircraft.
Frequent artillary blasts could be heard in central Kyiv by witnesses and on live video in the early morning hours of Saturday.
Zelenskyy warned Russia will launch a powerful military assault on Ukraine, including Kyiv, and urged citizens to pick up arms and join the fight.
Moscow said on Friday it was partially limiting access to Facebook, accusing it of ‘censoring’ Russian media.
Ukraine’s president warned Moscow will launch a powerful military assault Friday night or early Saturday morning as Russian troops push closer to the capital of Kyiv.
The city is in the key target in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of his democratic neighbour, which has now lasted two full days and killed hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers and citizens. Ukraine and the West have said Putin aims to topple the Ukrainian government by force.
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Live – World reacts as Russia invades Ukraine
But President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned all of Ukraine must prepare to defend itself from missile strikes and ground attacks, some of which he said have targeted civilian areas. He called on all civilians able to join the fight to do so, with volunteers being given weapons by the military.
“The enemy will use all of their power on all fronts to break our defence — treacherously, viciously, inhumanely,” Zelenskyy said in an address to the nation as Friday gave way to Saturday.
“This night will be difficult, very difficult. But the morning will come.”
Ukraine’s military said it stopped a Russian attack on a military base in the capital of Kyiv early Friday morning. Separately, the military also said it shot down two more Russian aircraft.
Військові злочинці рф атакували одну із військових частин в Києві на Проспекті Перемоги. Напад відбито.https://t.co/bXFeWUKOWp pic.twitter.com/XE7eikifVY
Frequent artillary blasts could be heard in central Kyiv by witnesses and on live video in the early morning hours of Saturday. It was unclear where they were emanating from, but Ukrainian officials said heavy fighting was taking place on the city’s outskirts.
The West, which had already imposed severe sanctions on Russia’s economy and members of Putin’s inner circle, went after the Russian leader himself on Friday. Canada, the United States, Britain and the European Union sanctioned Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, cutting them off from Western financing and business.
“We want to make sure that we’re suffocating the Russian regime. That’s our goal,” said Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly.
Explosions rocked Kyiv throughout the day Friday as Russian forces closed in on the city. Air raid sirens wailed over the capital of three million people, where some residents sheltered in underground metro stations while officials urged citizens to prepare Molotov cocktails to defend the city.
Kyiv city council warned residents in the city’s Obolon district, near Hostomel, to stay indoors because of “the approach of active hostilities.” Ukrainian military vehicles were in Kyiv to defend it against approaching Russian troops, Ukraine’s interior ministry said.
Members of the territorial defense battalion set up a machine gun and organize a military redoubt on Feb. 25, 2022 in Kyiv, Ukraine.
Anastasia Vlasova/Getty Images
Russia’s defence ministry later claimed Friday its forces secured the Hostomel aerodrome and landed paratroopers in the area. It could not immediately be confirmed and the Ukrainian authorities reported heavy fighting there.
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It said the Russian military had blocked access to Kyiv from the west, and separatist forces in eastern Ukraine had attacked Ukrainian army positions with Russian army support.
However, after failing to capture Chernihiv, most Russian troops remain more than 50 kilometres from Kyiv’s city centre, Britain’s defence ministry said in an intelligence update. Russian forces have had to open up a new route of advance towards the capital.
Ukrainian servicemen stand on patrol at a security checkpoint on Feb. 25 in Kyiv, Ukraine.
Anastasia Vlasova/Getty Images
As the conflict unfolds, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia is ready to send a delegation to the Belarusian capital Minsk for talks with Ukraine. He told Russian news agencies Moscow was willing to send a delegation including foreign and defence ministry officials.
Ukraine has said it is willing to discuss declaring itself a neutral county, and Peskov said demilitarization would need to be an essential part of that. That indicates Zelenskyy would be willing to negotiate dropping his country’s bid to join NATO, as Russia has demanded.
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However, Reuters has reported that there is disagreement over where to hold the talks, with Ukraine opting for Warsaw, Poland. That disagreement has resulted in a “pause” in contacts, according to Peskov.
Read more:
‘Go f— yourself’: Slain Ukrainian guards’ last words to Russian warship
Before the invasion, the West rejected the demand to keep Ukraine out of NATO. Putin claimed the refusal to discuss keeping Ukraine out of NATO prompted him to order a military action in Ukraine to “demilitarize” it.
U.S. state department spokesperson Ned Price said Russia’s offer for talks with Ukraine was an attempt to conduct diplomacy “at the barrel of a gun,” adding Moscow must stop its bombing in Ukraine if it is serious about diplomacy.
Later on Friday, a draft U.N. Security Council resolution deploring the invasion was vetoed by Russia while 11 members voted in favour and China, the United Arab Emirates and India abstained.
The draft resolution is now expected to be taken up by the 193-member U.N. General Assembly.
In a televised meeting with Russia’s security council on Friday, Putin called on the Ukrainian military to seize power in their country a day after ordering the wide-ranging attack.
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Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began early Thursday, and has already resulted in hundreds of deaths and injuries. The West responded with crippling sanctions and is promising more, but is holding back on sending its militaries to join the fight.
The European Union did announce more penalties on Friday, freezing any European assets belonging to Putin and Lavrov, and the United Kingdom said it would sanction them directly. Canada and the U.S. both sanctioned Putin and Lavrov directly as well.
While the Kremlin acknowledged the economic sanctions may create problems, the Russian government claimed they won’t cut the country off at the knees.
“The main goal … was to ensure complete self-sufficiency and complete import substitution if necessary,” Peskov said. “To a large extent this goal has been achieved. Undoubtedly there will be problems, but they will not be insurmountable.”
A map indicating cities in Ukraine that have reportedly been attacked by the Russian military on Feb. 24.
Global News
Zelenskyy said the missile strikes on Friday were aimed at both military and civilian targets. He claimed Russian ground troops were being held back at multiple points across the country.
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In his midnight address, he accused Russia of targeting schools, housing and orphanages. There were reports a kindergarten was shelled Friday, killing at least one child and injuring more.
“What is this war against Ukrainian children in a kindergarten,” Zelenskyy asked, looking haggard. “Who are they? Are they neo-Nazis from kindergarten as well?”
Putin has said his goal is to demilitarize and “deNazify” Ukraine. Zelenskyy is Jewish, with relatives who were killed during the Holocaust.
Russia’s defence ministry claims it had destroyed 118 Ukrainian military infrastructure sites over the past two days, while Ukraine’s deputy defence minister said Russian forces have lost about 2,800 servicemen and 80 tanks during their assault on the country.
None of the claims have been verified, and Moscow has not given a casualty count.
A Ukrainian Army soldier inspects fragments of a downed aircraft in Kyiv, Ukraine on Feb. 25. It was unclear what aircraft crashed and what brought it down amid the Russian invasion in Ukraine.
Vadim Zamirovsky/AP
U.S. and Ukrainian officials say Russia aims to capture Kyiv and topple the government, which Putin regards as a puppet of the United States.
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Russian troops on Thursday seized the Chernobyl former nuclear power plant north of Kyiv as they advanced along the shortest route to Kyiv from Belarus to the north.
Russia-Ukraine conflict: NATO chief says response force being deployed against Russian aggression
Russia-Ukraine conflict: NATO chief says response force being deployed against Russian aggression
Anton Herashchenko, an adviser to the interior minister, told reporters he expected Russian tanks to attack Kyiv later in the day, which he said would be the “hardest” of the invasion. He said the defenders of Kyiv were ready with anti-tank missiles supplied by foreign allies.
Herashchenko later said a Russian aircraft had been shot down by anti-aircraft missiles, causing the object to crash into a residential building in Kyiv and set it on fire.
A Ukrainian soldier speaks on his smartphone outside a residential building damaged by a missile on Feb. 25 in Kyiv, Ukraine.
Pierre Crom/Getty Images
He said some of the loud bangs heard in the city were from the air defence system that shot the aircraft down.
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It was unclear whether the aircraft was manned or whether it could be a missile, and reports of casualties varied. Kyiv municipal authorities said at least eight people were injured when the object crashed into the apartment block.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Twitter that three people were hurt, one of them critically, due to a rocket fragment hitting the city.
The military said Friday morning a bridge across a river had been destroyed in the area of Ivankiv, about 60 kilometres northwest of Kyiv, amid significant fighting as Ukraine works to keep Russian forces back.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said the last time Kyiv had experienced such “horrific” missile strikes was in 1941 during the Second World War, when it was attacked by Nazi Germany.
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“Ukraine defeated that evil and will defeat this one,” he said on Twitter.
Passersby stand near crushed car in Ukraine’s capital of Kyiv on Feb. 25.
Sergii Kharchenko/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Air raid sirens were also heard in the city of western Ukrainian city of Lviv, while a missile hit the airport in the city of Rivne in western Ukraine, its mayor said.
Separately, Ukraine’s border guard agency said a missile strike hit a border post in the southeastern region of Zaporizhzhya, killing and wounding some guards. The region has no land border with Russia, but is located on the coast of the Azov Sea, which the neighbors share.
The military also said it was involved in intense fighting in the city of Sumy in Ukraine’s northeast.
Українські герої-захисники мужньо чинять опір російським шовіністам в Сумах. Підтримуйте Збройні Сили України! 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/MERR73JnX3
In the separatist region of Luhansk, Ukraine’s state emergency agency said one person had died and buildings were damaged from Russian strikes in the city of Starobilsk.
On Friday, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said “Ukrainian forces are fighting bravely and are actually able to inflict damage on the invading Russian forces.”
Stoltenberg added the alliance will continue to send weapons to Ukraine, including air defences.
‘Subversive groups’ in Kyiv, Zelenskyy says
In a midnight address Friday morning, Zelenskyy said the government had information that “enemy subversive groups” were encroaching on the city. The president vowed he would not leave the capital, even though he said is Moscow’s “number one target.”
“My family is the number two target,” he said. “They want to destroy Ukraine politically by destroying the head of state.”
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“I will stay in the capital. My family is also in Ukraine.”
Zelenskyy shared a video on social media later alongside his senior aides in the streets of Kyiv to reassure the nation as Russian troops closed in on the capital.
“Our troops are here, citizens are here,” Zelenskyy said, adding that “All of us are here protecting our independence of our country. And it will continue to be this way. Glory to our defenders, Glory to Ukraine, Glory to Heroes.”
⚡️ Зеленский записал видеообращениеhttps://t.co/vebQ3ggieb Включайте наш спецэфир о самом важном! pic.twitter.com/7h0eAjbWaU
On Thursday, Zelenskyy ordered a full military mobilization to counter the Russian incursion that will last for 90 days, with the military bringing in weapons that could be picked up by citizens willing to join the fight. Martial law has also been declared throughout Ukraine.
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Canada providing cyber ‘support’ to Ukraine against Russian invasion. Here’s what we know
Putin claims Russia is carrying out “a special military operation” to stop the Ukrainian government from committing genocide against its own people — an accusation the West calls baseless. He also said Ukraine is an illegitimate state whose lands historically belong to Russia.
Western countries including Canada, the United States, the U.K. and the EU, as well as Japan and Australia, imposed harsh new sanctions on major Russian banks and state-owned businesses in response.
Ukrainian servicemen stand on patrol along a bridge on Feb. 25 in Kyiv, Ukraine.
Anastasia Vlasova/Getty Images
NATO — whose eastern expansion Putin has fought against for years — said it is mobilizing extra defence forces on its eastern flank near Ukraine in response.
Even Pope Francis relayed his concerns to the Russian embassy to the Holy See on Friday over the country’s invasion of Ukraine, according to the Vatican. It’s the first time a pope has expressed concerns directly at an embassy in the midst of a conflict.
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The pope spent about 30 minutes at the embassy, according to a Vatican spokesperson.
Russian invasion sparks global solidarity for Ukraine, condemnation of Putin
Russian invasion sparks global solidarity for Ukraine, condemnation of Putin
The attacks prompted many Ukrainians to flee to nearby countries, including Poland and Romania, or hide underground in subway stations.
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Photos show aftermath of Ukraine invasion, troop buildups in Russia and Belarus
The Ukraine representative to the UN, Sergiy Kyslytsya, has called for a special emergency session of the UN General Assembly. Kyslytsya called for the meeting in the coming days to discuss Russia’s actions toward Ukraine.
Canadian Ambassador to the UN Bob Rae said that he was on board with the motion.
“Canada supports emergency UNGA debate,” Rae tweeted.
Canada supports emergency UNGA debate https://t.co/5i0Hexlwci
Zelenskyy said 137 military personnel and civilians had been killed in the fighting on day one.
The United States and other NATO members have sent military aid to Ukraine but there is no move to send troops for fear of sparking a wider European conflict.
Kuleba pleaded for “more weapons to continue fighting … the amount of tanks, armored vehicles, airplanes, helicopters that Russia threw on Ukraine is unimaginable.”
Residents collect belongings in an apartment damaged by a missile on Feb. 25 in Kyiv, Ukraine. On Thursday, Russia began a large-scale attack on Ukraine, with Russian troops invading the country from the north, east and south, accompanied by air strikes and shelling.
Pierre Crom/Getty Images
Zelenskyy said he is appealing to eastern European NATO members, including Poland, for an “anti-war coalition” to force Russia to sit at the negotiating table.
He said in his national address that Russia “will have to talk to us sooner or later” about ending hostilities, but vowed to defend Ukraine until those talks occur.
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The Kremlin later said it had noted Zelenskyy’s willingness to discuss a neutrality pledge — first floated by one of his advisors — but said Moscow’s views of Kyiv remained unchanged.
— With files from Reuters and the Associated Press.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) will deploy elements of a quick response military force with the goal of preventing “spillover” of the violent and unprovoked war launched by Russia against Ukraine early Thursday morning.
Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced the decision in a press conference on Friday, saying the force first created following Russia’s 2014 invasion of Crimea will now be called upon as part of the military alliance’s response to the latest bloody campaign of Russian aggression.
“The Ukrainian forces are fighting bravely and are actually able to inflict damage on the invading Russian forces. But again, it is a very fluid and evolving situation,” Stoltenberg said, adding that Russian President Vladimir Putin has made a “terrible strategic mistake.”
Read more:
Explosions rock Kyiv as Ukraine capital prepares for Russian assault
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The military alliance, comprising European and North American security partners, is resolute in imposing consequences on Russia as well as Belarus, which has supported the Russian invasion.
And Stoltenberg said the deployment of “elements” of both the NATO Response Force and the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF) specifically is meant to make it clear that no threat to eastern European member states will be tolerated.
“This goes far beyond Ukraine. This is about how Russia is actually challenging, contesting core values for our security and demanding that NATO should withdraw all forces and infrastructure from almost half our members,” said Stoltenberg.
“And they have stated that if you do not do that, if you don’t meet their demands, there will be what they call ‘military technical consequences.’ So we have to take this seriously. That’s exactly why we are now deploying the NATO Response Force for the first time in the collective defence context.”
The VJTF is what Stoltenberg described as the “lead element” of the 40,000-strong NATO Response Force. It was created in 2014 in response to crises in the Middle East and Russia’s invasion of Crimea, and “is permanently available to move within days to defend any Ally.”
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Photos show aftermath of Ukraine invasion, troop buildups in Russia and Belarus
France is currently leading the VJTF, which includes several thousand troops largely comprising those from France, Germany, Spain, Portugal and Poland.
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NATO head condemns Russian attack on Ukraine: ‘This is barbaric’
NATO head condemns Russian attack on Ukraine: ‘This is barbaric’
Earlier this week, the Canadian government announced a series of sanctions imposed on 58 Russian elites and banking institutions in concert with allies, billing the move as a “severe” consequence for Putin’s actions. In addition, Canada cancelled roughly $700 billion worth of Russian export permits.
An electronic warfare unit from the Canadian Forces is bound for Latvia, along with an artillery battery, a military patrol aircraft, and a naval frigate.
Those sanctions did not, however, include Putin personally or Sergei Lavrov, his foreign minister.
“There will be other sanctions coming, and that’s important for the Canadian public to understand,” said Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly on Thursday.
“We want to be sure to put maximum pressure on Vladimir Putin’s regime.”
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Read more:
Canada targets Russian elites, major banks in new sanctions amid Ukraine invasion
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said the message is aimed at inflicting pain on those closest to the Russian president, who have long benefited as oligarchs with luxuries and freedoms denied to most Russian citizens.
“You are not going to be able to be a high roller enjoying all of the things that Western democracy has created and continue to support this evil, barbaric policy,” Freeland said.
She was also blunt in her assessment of the dangers posed to the rules-based international order if Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is allowed to go unchallenged.
“We cannot allow this to be the end of the post-WW2 rules-based order. It could be,” said Freeland, who is Ukrainian-Canadian.
“This is an extremely serious challenge to that order, and if Russia succeeds, then that order will be breached.”
Freeland appeals to Ukrainian-Canadians amid Russian attack: ‘Now is the time for us to be strong’
Freeland appeals to Ukrainian-Canadians amid Russian attack: ‘Now is the time for us to be strong’
Natali Sevriukova reacts next to her apartment house following a rocket attack the city of Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, Feb. 25, 2022.Emilio Morenatti/The Associated Press
Russia invades Ukraine. Here are the latest updates:
Russian troops have entered Kyiv from the north, Ukraine’s Defence Ministry said in a statement that called on residents to prepare to fight. The Defence Ministry said Russian reconnaissance units were now in the Obolon neighbourhood, close to Kyiv’s historic Podil district. “We ask citizens to inform about the movement of equipment!” the statement said. “Make Molotov cocktails, neutralize the occupier!”
Explosions were heard in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv early Friday, as Russian forces pressed on with a full-scale invasion. The Globe’s Mark MacKinnon and Nathan VanderKlippe report from Ukraine on what has the potential to be the biggest conflict Europe has seen since the Second World War.
Ukrainian military reports heavy fighting northwest of Kyiv as Russian forces advance on the capital from the north
Ukrainian President says 137 civilians and military personnel have been killed, hundreds more wounded as he ordered full military mobilization.
Canada has placed 3,400 military personnel on standby to be deployed to Europe if necessary, Defence Minister Anita Anand announced.
Across the country, Canadian business leaders, politicians and citizens react to the Russian invasion.
Western nations are preparing to sanction Russian banks and oligarchs, and impose technology export bans, to punish President Vladimir Putin for his invasion of Ukraine.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has sent energy and agricultural prices soaring, adding to global inflationary pressures and putting central banks around the world in a delicate position.
The highways out of Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities were jammed with traffic on Thursday, as thousands of Ukrainians fled their homes in the first hours after the Russian invasion began. A steady stream of people have been crossing into Przemysl, Poland, reports Paul Waldie.
How can I help Ukraine? Resources and tips for Canadians
3:16 a.m. ET
Russia to deploy paratroopers to guard Chernobyl site
Russia will deploy paratroopers to help guard the closed Chernobyl nuclear power plant near Ukraine’s capital Kyiv, a spokesman for Russia’s defence ministry said on Friday.
Radiation levels at the plant are normal, the spokesman told a briefing. Russian troops, which started a full-scale military operation in Ukraine on Thursday, have destroyed 118 Ukrainian military infrastructure sites, he said.
-Reuters
2:20 a.m. ET
Russian columns approaching Kyiv from east
As Russian troops continued pressing their offensive Friday, intense fighting also raged in the country’s east.
Russian troops entered the city of Sumy near the border with Russia that sits on a highway leading to Kyiv from the east. The regional governor, Dmytro Zhivitsky, said Ukrainian forces fought Russian troops in the city overnight, but other Russian convoys kept rolling west toward the Ukrainian capital.
“Military vehicles from Sumy are moving toward Kyiv,” Zhivitsky said. “Much equipment has passed through and is heading directly to the west.”
Zhivitsky added that another northeastern city, Konotop, was also sieged. He urged residents of the region to fight the Russian forces.
-The Associated Press
2:17 a.m. ET
ICC says may investigate possible war crimes
International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Karim Khan on Friday expressed his concern over the Russian invasion of Ukraine and said his court may investigate possible war crimes in the country.
“I have been closely following recent developments in and around Ukraine with increasing concern,” Khan said in a statement. “I remind all sides conducting hostilities on the territory of Ukraine that my office may exercise its jurisdiction and investigate any act of genocide, crime against humanity or war crime committed within Ukraine.”
Following the Russian annexation of Crimea in March 2014 and the subsequent fighting in eastern Ukraine between pro-Russian rebels and Ukrainian government forces, Ukraine accepted ICC jurisdiction for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed on its territory since February 2014.
-Reuters
1:57 a.m. ET
Germany to offer troops, weapons, war ships to NATO
Germany plans to offer troops, air defence systems and war ships to NATO to strengthen its eastern flank after Russia invaded Ukraine, German magazine Der Spiegel reported on Friday without providing sources.
Germany could send an infantry company with around 150 soldiers and more than a dozen Boxer wheeled armoured vehicles in a timely manner, according to a package that the military has put together for Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht, the media outlet said.
The defence ministry was not immediately available for comment.
Germany also plans to offer “Patriot” anti-aircraft missile systems and a corvette and a frigate, it said. The ships would have to be withdrawn from other missions in the Mediterranean.
A fleet service boat with sensor technology is already on its way to the Baltic Sea, according to Der Spiegel.
-Reuters
1:46 a.m. ET
Ukrainian military battles Russian forces
The Ukrainian military is reporting significant fighting northwest of the nation’s capital as Russian forces apparently try to advance on Kyiv from the north.
The military said Friday morning a bridge across a river had been destroyed in the area of Ivankiv, about 60 kilometers (40 miles) northwest of Kyiv.
“The hardest day will be today. The enemy’s plan is to break through with tank columns from the side of Ivankiv and Chernihiv to Kyiv. Russian tanks burn perfectly when hit by our ATGMs (anti-tank guided missiles),” Interior Ministry adviser Anton Gerashchenko said on Telegram.
-The Associated Press Back to top
12:55 a.m. ET
Zelensky says Russian actions show sanctions not enough
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday that continued Russian aggression against his country showed that sanctions imposed on Moscow by the West were not enough.
Zelensky said the world was continuing to observe what was going on in Ukraine from afar.
He was speaking after Ukraine said its capital city Kyiv had been struck by Russian missiles in the early hours of Friday morning.
–Reuters
12:26 a.m. ET
Russian world No. 1 Medvedev calls for peace
Russian Daniil Medvedev said he wanted to promote peace around the world after a “roller-coaster day” when he was confirmed as the world’s top tennis player and his country invaded Ukraine.
U.S. Open champion Medvedev, who took the court in Acapulco, Mexico, hours after Novak Djokovic’s quarter-final loss in Dubai meant the Russian would replace him at the top of the men’s rankings on Monday, said it was not easy watching the news.
“By being a tennis player, I want to promote peace all over the world,” the 26-year-old said after reaching the semi-finals at the ATP 500 tournament by defeating Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka.
–Reuters
12:10 a.m. ET, Feb. 25
Analysis: Biden’s toolbox for dealing with Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is limited
Ground troops – out of the question. Contemplating a no-fly zone over Ukraine – far too late for that. Moral suasion – it produced nothing. Sanctions – they may bite but won’t prompt Russia to balk.
What’s an American President possessing the world’s most powerful military force and at the head of an alliance of 28 countries on the continent of Europe to do?
This is a vital question when a determined Russian President with nearly a million troops decides to have his way with a country possessing a military about a quarter that size and a fighter aircraft force a tenth the size of Russia’s?
-David Shribman
Thursday, February 24
11:54 p.m. ET
Ukrainian forces down aircraft over Kyiv
Ukrainian forces downed an enemy aircraft over Kyiv in the early hours of Friday, which then crashed into a residential building and set it on fire, said Anton Herashchenko, an adviser to the interior minister.
It was unclear whether the aircraft was manned or whether it could be a missile. Kyiv municipal authorities said at least eight people were injured when the object crashed into an apartment block.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Kyiv had come under a missile attack.
A series of explosions were heard in Kyiv earlier, which Herashchenko said were the sounds of air defences firing at the aircraft. Further explosions could be heard just before dawn, a Reuters witness said.
-Reuters
11:22 p.m. ET
Kyiv Mayor calls on residents to stay indoors
A woman walks past Ukrainian military service members guarding a road that leads to a government block, after Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized a military operation in eastern Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Feb. 24, 2022.UMIT BEKTAS/Reuters
Kyiv Mayor Vitaly Klitschko had called on the city’s three million people to stay indoors unless they worked in critical sectors and said everyone should prepare go-bags with necessities such as medicine and documents.
-Reuters
11:02 p.m. ET
Airline industry shifts attention to Russia risks after Ukraine closure
Alaska’s Anchorage Airport said airlines have started making inquiries about capacity in case routes over Russia are impacted due to the Ukraine crisis, in a sign of the conflict’s growing fallout for the global aviation industry.
The airport was a popular refuelling hub for long-haul flights during the Cold War, when Western airlines were unable to access Russian airspace on routes from Europe to Asia.
Japan Airlines cancelled its Thursday evening flight to Moscow, citing potential safety risks, while Britain closed its airspace to Russian airlines, including Aeroflot, as the conflict’s impact on the industry widened beyond Ukraine to Russia.
Airspace in Ukraine, Moldova, parts of Belarus and in southern Russia near the Ukraine border was closed, giving airlines a narrower range of routing options.
Emirates said it had made minor routing changes to Stockholm, Moscow, St. Petersburg and some U.S. flights that were hit by the airspace closings, leading to slightly longer flight times.
OPSGROUP, an aviation industry cooperative that shares information on flight risks, said any aircraft travelling through Russian airspace should have contingency plans in place for closed airspace due to risks or sanctions.
-Reuters
10:27 p.m. ET
Several explosions heard in Kyiv early Friday as Russian forces pressed on with assault
Explosions were heard in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv early Friday local time as Russian forces pressed on with a full-scale invasion in the first full day of fighting and could eventually rewrite the global post-Cold War security order.
After using airstrikes on cities and military bases, Russian military units moved swiftly to take on Ukraine’s seat of government and its largest city in what U.S. officials suspect is a brazen attempt by Russian President Vladimir Putin to dismantle the government and replace it with his own regime.
Ukrainian leaders pleaded for help as civilians piled into trains and cars to flee, and hotels in Kyiv were being evacuated amid early indications of an assault.
One senior U.S. defense official described the attack so far as the first salvo in a multi-phase invasion aimed at seizing key population centers and “decapitating” Ukraine’s government.
-The Associated Press Back to top
10:03 p.m. ET
Opinion: Are allies willing to bear the high cost of making Putin pay?
“We cannot allow this to be the end of the post-World-War-Two rules-based order,” Chrystia Freeland told reporters on Thursday. “It could be.”
Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister often talks about the rules-based order, and it can sound academic, but in this case it was an appropriately ominous warning.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has, at any rate, shattered norms that the world counted on to deter catastrophe, using great-power military might to invade a democracy.
Ukrainians now face bombs and bloody war, but Ms. Freeland’s point was that the threat is not only to Ukraine, but a challenge to the order that has protected democracies from domination by stronger powers. For a long time, autocrats didn’t dare do this, and if nothing is done now, someone – not necessarily just Mr. Putin – will do it again.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau insisted, more than once, that Mr. Putin can’t be allowed to benefit from invasion – and it should be obvious that Canada has every interest in uniting with other democracies to make Mr. Putin pay.
The threat of sanctions didn’t deter Mr. Putin from invasion, but Mr. Biden argued that the effects of the measures – especially over time – will so weaken Russia’s economy that Mr. Putin will face a difficult choice.
-Campbell Clark
9:55 p.m. ET
Russian embassy in Canada says NATO ‘created immediate danger’
The Russian embassy is Canada released a statement Thursday that attempted to justify President Vladimir Putin’s actions.
It said the “political-military situation” and NATO’s military posture in Europe “created a clear and immediate danger for Russia that could not have been mitigated by any other means than those Russia has to use today.”
The embassy said Russia’s repeated efforts to negotiate a new security arrangement in Europe have been scorned by the West.
It warned “attempts by the West to turn Ukraine into a kind of ‘anti- Russia’ will not succeed.”
The embassy said for two decades Moscow had expressed concern over enlargement of NATO, a development it called “a clear threat to our security.” The embassy said Russia had proposed solutions premised on principles including “not strengthening security at the expense of others.” It said this included efforts to incentivize Ukraine to “join this dialogue.”
The embassy said however Russia’s efforts were “put on the back burner or haughtily ridiculed.”
It concluded by saying “the road to peace remains open” and that Russia remains receptive to “meaningful dialogue” on a new security arrangement in “Europe and the Euro-Atlantic.”
-Steven Chase
9:36 p.m. ET
Afghan refugees stuck in Ukraine with no exit in sight
Afghan refugee Jawed Haqmal stands alone in Maidan square in Kyiv, on Feb. 24, 2022.ANTON SKYBA/The Globe and Mail
Afghan refugees who fled to Ukraine after the Taliban takeover of their home country are terrified that they have once again found themselves in a war zone, with no obvious exit.
“Everything is finished,” said Jawed Haqmal,who worked as a translator for the Canadian military in Afghanistan and has been living in a Kyiv hotel with his family since the end of August. “Just like a war zone, everyone is running to the shelters, streets are full of the army. Just like war, the same as what was going on in front of the airport of Kabul on the last day. The same thing is going on here.”
Haqmal’s family of 12 arrived in Ukraine after being evacuated from Afghanistan by Ukrainian special forces, a mission that was carried out following a request from The Globe and Mail to the office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Their stay in Ukraine was supposed to be a temporary stop on their way to Canada. The family, and others, are now trapped in Ukraine due to a bureaucratic delay.
Aidan Strickland, a spokesperson for Immigration Minister Sean Fraser, said IRCC “has been made aware of complex cases of Afghan citizens who are seeking resettlement to Canada, but are currently in Ukraine.”
-Janice Dickson
9:20 p.m. ET
Ukrainian-Canadian community rallies as Russian forces attack Ukraine
People in Vancouver attend a rally in support of the people of Ukraine, on Feb. 24, 2022.DARRYL DYCK/The Canadian Press
Canada has the largest Ukrainian population in the world, outside Russia and Ukraine. About 1.4 million Canadians are of Ukrainian ancestry, not counting significant additional populations of non-ethnic Ukrainians, among them Mennonites, Jews, Poles, Romanians and Swedes.
At the Ukrainian Cultural and Education Centre in Winnipeg, Yulia Zmerzla had a sleepless night watching the news in both Ukrainian and Russian. She came to Canada eight years ago and still has many friends and family in Ukraine, including her parents. “I spoke to my parents today, and they told me that life will never be the same again after today,” she said, through tears.
On Thursday, demonstrations were popping up in Montreal, Toronto, Edmonton and Vancouver to denounce Russia’s attack on Ukraine, and fundraisers were being set up to raise money both for humanitarian aid and military supplies for the country.
Jurij R. Klufas, president of the Ukrainian National Federation of Canada, said he, too, was having trouble reconciling the reality of what was happening in Ukraine, something he said seemed more like a relic of a primitive past, “when everybody used to resolve issues with war.”
“It’s very troubling to see at this time, in modern society, having somebody push in a military way their colonial convictions from the last two centuries,” he said. “It’s kind of almost crazy, surreal, to be seeing this kind of thing happening in today’s modern society, and in Europe.”
-Jana G. Pruden, Kathryn Helmore and Ntawnis Piapot, with files from Wendy Stueck and Oliver Moore
9:04 p.m. ET
Taiwan to join countries sanctioning Russia
Taiwan Premier Su Tseng-chang said the island will join “democratic countries” to put sanctions on Russia over the invasion of Ukraine, although he did not give details.
The crisis is being watched closely in Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory and has faced increased military pressure by Beijing over the last two years.
”We very harshly condemn such an act of invasion and will join democratic countries to jointly impose sanctions,” Su told reporters in Taipei without giving details. Taiwan Economy Minister Wang Mei-hua told reporters the island will “harshly scrutinize” exports to Russia and “coordinate” with unspecified allies for further actions. She did not elaborate.
-Reuters
8:20 p.m. ET
Ukraine’s president stays put as Russian invaders advance
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed on Friday to stay in Kyiv as his troops battled Russian invaders who are advancing toward the capital in the biggest attack on a European state since World War Two.
U.S. and Ukrainian officials say Russia aims to capture Kyiv and topple the government.
“(The) enemy has marked me down as the number one target,” Zelensky warned in a video message. “My family is the number two target. They want to destroy Ukraine politically by destroying the head of state.”
“I will stay in the capital. My family is also in Ukraine.”
-Reuters
8:06 p.m. ET
UN gives $20-million to scale up Ukraine humanitarian aid
People rest in the Kyiv subway, using it as a bomb shelter in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022.Emilio Morenatti/The Associated Press
The United Nations announced it is immediately allocating $20 million to scale up UN humanitarian operations in Ukraine.
Secretary-general Antonio Guterres made the announcement saying the UN and its humanitarian partners “are committed to staying and delivering, to support people in Ukraine in their time of need … regardless of who or where they are.”
“With deaths rising, we are seeing images of fear, anguish and terror in every corner of Ukraine,” the UN chief said. “People – everyday innocent people – always pay the highest price.”
UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths said the $20 million from the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund will support emergency operations along the contact line in eastern Donetsk and Luhansk and in other areas of the country, and will “help with health care, shelter, food, and water and sanitation to the most vulnerable people affected by the conflict.”
-The Associated Press
8:06 p.m. ET
Watch: History professor from Kyiv on Ukraine’s response to Russia invasion
Olgah Martynyuk, a history professor at the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, who left the city this morning by train to Przemysl, Poland. She’s speaking in a reception centre set up in the train station after her 14-hour journey.
The Globe and Mail
They came in a steady stream, looking weary and confused as they made their way through the train station in Przemysl, a small Polish city about 10 kilometres from the border with Ukraine. Some had come from Kyiv, others from Lviv, in western Ukraine, and still more from farther east.
Olgah Martynyuk, a history professor at Kyiv’s Polytechnic Institute, made a mad rush for the train after hearing bombs drop around the capital Thursday morning. “I woke up from blasts in the morning and I packed up,” Prof. Martynyuk said as she sat in Przemysl’s train station after a 14-hour journey. She was happy to be safe but felt unsettled about leaving her country. “I still feel enormous guilt,” she said. “What did we do wrong that all of this is happening?”
Poland has been bracing for months for the possibility of as many as one million refugees from Ukraine in the wake of a Russian invasion. Preparations have been slow to roll out, and on Thursday officials in Przemysl, the Polish city closest to the border, still appeared to be scrambling to come up with some kind of support structure.
On Thursday night the train station was expecting as many as 2,000 refugees to arrive on two trains from Kyiv early Friday morning. But just two local officials were on hand to help. “I’m afraid that we will lose control,” one said.
-Paul Waldie in Prezmysl, Poland and Nathan VanderKlippe in Odessa, Ukraine
7:44 p.m. ET
Energy: the one sanction against Russia the West isn’t prepared to trigger
The most effective economic weapon that the West has in its arsenal to retaliate against Russia’s attack on Ukraine is a boycott of Russia’s oil.
It’s also the one that U.S. President Joe Biden and his allies can’t afford to use.
On Thursday, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine propelled oil prices above US$100 a barrel for the first time in almost eight years as traders weighed the potential of the conflict to cause severe supply disruptions in Europe and beyond.
With inventories tight, the world can ill afford the loss of 4.3-million barrels a day of exports from the third-largest producing country, despite its aggression. Even before the attack, Russia struggled to meet its own OPEC+ commitments to increase output.
The West have set some serious economic sanctions, but not knockout blows as Russian tanks and troops roll into Ukraine. Oil and gas exports account for nearly 60 per cent of Russian exports, so pinching off energy shipments would inflict the most damage. From an oil standpoint, it’s something that would be far too costly for the world, no more so than in the United States.
-Jeffrey Jones
7:26 p.m. ET
U.S. condemns report of hostages at Chernobyl
The White House is expressing outrage at “credible reports” from Ukrainian officials that the staff at the shuttered Chernoybl nuclear plant have been taken hostage by Russian troops.
“We condemn it and we request their release,” said press secretary Jen Psaki.
Psaki spoke after Alyona Shevtsova, an adviser to the commander of Ukraine’s Ground Forces, wrote on Facebook that the staff at the Chernobyl plant had been “taken hostage” when Russian troops seized the facility.
-The Associated Press
7:02 p.m. ET
Propaganda, fake videos of Ukraine invasion bombard users
The invasion of Ukraine is shaping up to be Europe’s first major armed conflict of the social media age, when the small screen of the smartphone is the dominant tool of communication, carrying with it the peril of an instantaneous spread of dangerous, even deadly, disinformation.
TikTok videos, propagandized headlines and tweets pinging out across screens around the world are confusing millions about the reality of how this battle is unfolding on the ground.
Over the last few days, Putin and Russian media have ramped up false accusations that Ukrainians are committing genocide, and mischaracterizing the majority of the country’s population as Nazis, said Bret Schafer, who heads the information manipulation team at the Alliance for Securing Democracy, a non-partisan think tank in Washington.
-The Associated Press
6:49 p.m. ET
Canadian political leaders condemn Russian invasion of Ukraine, declare it ‘a war of aggression’
Canadian political leaders widely condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine on Thursday, with some premiers declaring it “a war of aggression,” and expressing support for efforts by Canada and other western nations to impose economic sanctions on Russia.
“This is a dark day,” B.C. Premier John Horgan wrote on Twitter. “I join the PM and allied nations in deploring this illegal and unjust war. We stand with the people of Ukraine, and the many people in BC with family and friends there.”
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney called the invasion “devastating,” tweeting “Weakness invites aggression. The democratic world must be united in standing with Ukraine. That should begin with a hard global embargo of all Russian oil & gas exports.”
Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson tweeted that her province joined the federal government in calling on Russia to end its invasion, writing “It’s hard to imagine how difficult watching the news must be for so many Manitobans who have loved ones in Ukraine.”
-Globe Staff Back to top
6:30 p.m. ET
Ukrainian President says 137 civilians and military personnel have been killed
A woman holds her baby as she gets on a bus leaving Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022.Emilio Morenatti/The Associated Press
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says 137 civilians and military personnel have been killed so far in the Russian invasion of his country.
He calls them “heroes” in a video address released early Friday local time, in which he also says hundreds more have been wounded.
Zelensky says that despite Russia’s claim it is attacking only military targets, civilian sites also have been struck. In his words: “They’re killing people and turning peaceful cities into military targets. It’s foul and will never be forgiven.”
The president says all border guards on Zmiinyi island in the Odesa region were killed Thursday. Ukraine’s border guard service earlier in the day reported that the island was taken by the Russians.
-The Associated Press Back to top
6:27 p.m. ET
Ukraine president orders full military mobilization
President Volodymyr Zelensky issued a decree Thursday evening ordering a full military mobilization to challenge the Russian invasion. He said the mobilization would last 90 days.
He ordered the military’s General Staff to determine the number of those liable for service and reservists as well as the order of the call-up.
Zelensky gave his Cabinet the job of allocating funds to pay for the mobilization.
-The Associated Press Back to top
6:05 p.m. ET
Opinion: Shock, not awe, as an old-fashioned war unfolds on TV
It began, as invasions always begin, in the hour before dawn. On CNN, at around 10:15 p.m. in the eastern time zone on Wednesday evening, Don Lemon wasn’t talking about Donald Trump’s legal problems any more. He was talking to a jittery Matthew Chase in Kyiv. It was 5:15 a.m. there.
The CNN correspondent was putting on a flak jacket and a helmet, reporting from a hotel balcony that he’d heard numerous explosions in the distance, possibly from near the main airport. The sun would rise there in an hour, and the invasion of Ukraine seemed to be under way. Other CNN correspondents were reporting explosions and troop movements, Mr. Lemon said.
Over on Fox News, the channel’s limitations were obvious: no correspondents in Ukraine to report. Bret Baier sat in the studio and solemnly called on people to pray for Ukraine, adding that President Joe Biden didn’t want “a gunfight” there. As pundits chimed in, the topic of Mr. Trump’s relationship with Mr. Putin was raised but petered out.
The all-news channels were so well-prepared for the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it seemed hard to believe it was happening.
-John Doyle
5:40 p.m. ET
Ukrainian-Canadian business leaders voice distress over Russian invasion
Business leaders in the Canadian-Ukrainian community say they are extremely concerned for the safety of friends and employees in Ukraine.
Zenon Potichny, president of the Canada-Ukraine Chamber of Commerce, which represents more than 200 companies that do business in the two countries, said the situation on the ground is very serious.
He said he hopes all of Canada stands with the people of Ukraine, especially as more than a million Canadians are of Ukrainian descent.
-Chris Hannay Back to top
5:26 p.m. ET
Watch: Missile strikes and helicopter deployments mark first day of Russian attacks on Ukraine
Russian forces attacked Ukraine early Thursday with some of their movements caught on video. A convoy of armoured vehicles drove into Ukraine from Belarus, Russian forces moved to take control of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and military helicopters flew near a major airport north of Kyiv.
The Globe and Mail
Russian forces attacked Ukraine early Thursday with some of their movements caught on video. A convoy of armoured vehicles drove into Ukraine from Belarus, Russian forces moved to take control of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and military helicopters flew near a major airport north of Kyiv.
4:14 p.m. ET
Hundreds arrested as shocked Russians protest attack on Ukraine
Shocked Russians turned out by the thousands Thursday to decry their country’s invasion of Ukraine as emotional calls for protests grew on social media. Some 1,702 people in 53 Russian cities were detained, at least 940 of them in Moscow.
Hundreds of posts came pouring in condemning Moscow’s most aggressive actions since the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Vladimir Putin called the attack a “special military operation” to protect civilians in eastern Ukraine from “genocide” – a false claim the U.S. had predicted would be a pretext for invasion, and which many Russians roundly rejected.
– The Associated Press
4:14 p.m. ET
Another 3,400 Canadian troops placed on standby to deploy to Europe if necessary, Defence Minister says
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly look on as Defence Minister Anita Anand speaks during a news conference, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022 in Ottawa.Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press
Canada has placed 3,400 military personnel on standby to be deployed to Europe if necessary, Defence Minister Anita Anand announced.
These Armed Forces members from the army, navy and air force are being readied to deploy to a “NATO response force should they be needed,” she said.
Several NATO members including Latvia and Estonia have formally requested consultations under Article Four of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which calls for meetings when “the territorial integrity, political independence or security of any of the parties is threatened.” These former Soviet republics have long feared that Russian expansionism would one day target them as well.
“We cannot allow Putin to redraw maps and to rewrite history to suit his own purposes. If we must, we will stand up against these efforts to sow discord, deceit and violence,” Ms. Anand said.
– Steven Chase Back to top
3:03 p.m. ET
Russian troops advancing toward Kyiv as war rages in Ukraine
Liudmila Pirolt waits on a ferry to cross the Danube River to Romania after fleeing her home in Izmail, Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. Nathan Vanderklippe/The Globe and MailNathan VanderKlippe/The Globe and Mail
Russia invaded Ukraine from three directions on Thursday, advancing toward the capital city of Kyiv in the first hours of what has the potential to be the biggest conflict Europe has seen since the Second World War.
Kyiv’s main Boryspil International Airport was hit in Wednesday night’s first wave of attacks, and Russian paratroopers appeared to have taken control of the city’s Hostomel cargo airport by the end of Thursday after a battle that involved a squadron of Russian attack helicopters. Control of Hostomel would allow Russia to fly more troops to the edge of Kyiv, which Western officials believe is Russian President Vladimir Putin’s main target.
As the threat of a battle for the capital grew, tens of thousands of Kyiv residents packed their lives into cars and headed toward the relative safety of Western Ukraine, and the European Union beyond. The exodus created hours-long traffic jams that stretched to the horizon.
The last-minute panic was caused in part by the Ukrainian government’s strategy of playing down the threat of invasion, saying it had been hyped up by Western governments and media. Kyiv abruptly switched tactics this week, declaring a state of emergency and calling up some reservists on Wednesday. On Thursday, a dusk-till-dawn curfew was introduced in most of the country.
Within hours of the attacks, lines and shortages began to form at gas stations, banking machines and currency exchange shops across the country. When Liudmila Pirolt tried to buy groceries Thursday in Izmail, near the Romanian border, she was told “no bread.” Nearby gas stations, too, had gone dry. “So no petrol, no food and people are lined up at banks,” she said.
-Mark MacKinnon and Nathan VanderKlippe Back to top
1:52 p.m. ET
Ukraine invasion fuels inflation, putting central banks in delicate position as they look to hike rates
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has sent energy and agricultural prices soaring, adding to global inflationary pressures and putting central banks around the world in a delicate position as they embark on a much-anticipated rate hike cycle.
Russia is one of the world’s largest energy producers, and both Russia and Ukraine are major food producers, together accounting for more than a quarter of the global wheat exports. Disruptions caused by the conflict have already begun to ripple through global commodity markets, pushing up consumer prices and adding fuel to fears about spiralling inflation.
“Watch the food inflation story. Russia is a global commodity superstore, they are not a gas station. Their ability to inflict serious harm to consumers across the world is substantial,” Helima Croft, Royal Bank of Canada’s head of global commodity strategy, said in an interview.
The price of oil on both sides of the Atlantic shot past US$100 a barrel on Thursday morning for the first time since 2014, although West Texas Intermediate crude was back around $96 a barrel by mid day. Meanwhile, the price of wheat futures contracts in the United States rose around 5.5 per cent on Thursday morning, while corn contracts were up around 2.25 per cent.
-Mark Rendell Back to top
1:50 p.m. ET
Canada urged to expel Russia’s ambassador over military offensive against Ukraine
Canada is being urged to expel Russia’s ambassador Oleg Stepanov in the wake of Moscow’s unprovoked attack on Ukraine.
“The Russian ambassador should be sent home. He represents a terrorist, criminal regime,” said Orest Zakydalsky, a senior official with the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, which represents people of Ukrainian heritage in Canada.
Marcus Kolga, president of the Central and Eastern European Council in Canada and a senior fellow at the Macdonald Laurier Institute think tank, agreed, saying that “expelling the ambassador would send a strong message that Canada will not tolerate his government’s neo-imperialist aggression.”
Former federal Industry Minister James Moore also called for Mr. Stepanov to be expelled, urging Parliamentarians to lead the way by tabling a motion in the House of Commons to this effect. The Canadian government does not require Parliamentary consent for ousting foreign envoys.
-Steven Chase Back to top
1:42 p.m. ET
Harder sanctions from Canada, Western allies await Russia over Ukraine invasion
In response to the Feb. 24 attacks on Ukraine, Canada’s new sanctions target a number of individuals and entities, including Russian elites and members of the Russian Security Council. In addition, all export permits to Russia have been cancelled or denied. This amounts to hundreds of permits worth more than $7-million, says Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly.
Canada and other western countries are preparing to sanction Russian banks and oligarchs, and impose technology export bans, to punish President Vladimir Putin for his invasion of Ukraine.
The economic measures will freeze the western assets of major Russian financial institutions, curb the flow of semiconductors and other high-technology products into Russia and hit a range of other major Russian companies.
The West, however, stopped short of kicking Russia out of the SWIFT system for processing international financial transactions or imposing new sanctions on Russia’s crucial oil and gas industry. European countries have significant trading relationships with Russia and rely heavily on the country for energy imports.
The leaders of the G7, including U.S. President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and the heads of the European Union spoke by video conference Thursday morning to co-ordinate measures designed to impose economic pain following Russia’s sweeping attack on its democratic neighbour.
Mr. Trudeau announced afterwards that Canada will target 62 Russian individuals and entities, including members of the Russian elite and their family members, as well as the military contractor Wagner Group and major Russian banks. He said these include members of the Russian Security Council, including the Defence Minister, the Finance Minister, and the Justice Minister.
“These sanctions are wide-reaching. They will impose severe costs on complicit Russian elites, and they will limit President Putin’s ability to continue funding this unjustified invasion,” Mr. Trudeau told reporters.
-Adrian Morrow and Steven Chase Back to top
1:24 p.m. ET
Officials say Ukraine no longer in control of Chernobyl site
A presidential adviser says Ukraine lost control of the Chernobyl nuclear site, where Ukrainian forces had waged a fierce battle with Russian troops.
Adviser Myhailo Podolyak told The Associated Press that Ukrainian authorities did not know the current condition of the facilities at Chernobyl, the site of the world’s worst nuclear disaster.
“After the absolutely senseless attack of the Russians in this direction, it is impossible to say that the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is safe,” he said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had announced several hours earlier Thursday that Russian forces were trying to seize the Chernobyl nuclear plant.
A nuclear reactor at the plant 130 kilometres (80 miles) north of Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, exploded in April 1986, sending a radioactive cloud across Europe.
The exploded reactor was covered by a protective shelter several years ago to prevent radiation leaks.
A Ukrainian official said Russian shelling hit a radioactive waste repository and an increase in radiation levels was reported. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter.
It was not immediately possible for experts to access the repository to assess damage before Russian forces overtook the site.
-The Associated Press
12:45 p.m. ET
Ontario Premier Doug Ford calls Russian President Vladimir Putin a ‘thug’
Ontario Premier Doug Ford called Russian President Vladimir Putin “a despot” and “a thug” for his invasion of Ukraine on Thursday, noting Ukraine’s deep ties to Canada and vowing that democracy must be defended.
“Last night, we witnessed a violent attack on a sovereign nation by a despot, a thug,” Mr. Ford told the Ontario Legislature. “We witnessed Vladimir Putin’s war of aggression begin in Ukraine.”
In a brief but unusually poetic speech that prompted a standing ovation from both sides of the legislature, the premier compared the attack to the beginnings of both the First World War and the Second World War, adding that “we must pray” Feb. 24, 2022, does not become another infamous date in history books.
He said the bonds between Canada and Ukraine run deep, noting the wave of Ukrainian immigrants that settled and farmed across Western Canada, whose descendants remain. And he listed prominent Canadians of Ukrainian origin, such as hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, late game show host Alex Trebek and astronaut Roberta Bondar.
“They left a permanent mark on Canadian history,” he said. “Without Ukraine, the Canada we know and love today would not be the same.”
Mr. Ford said Canada “shall never waver” in standing against tyranny, defending democracy and supporting Ukraine. And he warned Russia the strength of Ukrainians would “emerge from the darkness.”
“We must ensure the Ukrainian flag flies high above the skyline. The blue and yellow must be the last colours the invaders see,” the premier said. He ended his remarks with the Ukrainian national salute, partially in Ukrainian, followed by its English translation: “Glory to Ukraine. Glory to the heroes.”
Ontario Opposition NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said she stood in solidarity with Ukrainians and their worried relatives in Canada. She condemned the attack and called for “diplomacy and immediate de-escalation” of military actions. She asked the federal government to welcome Ukrainian refugees and provide humanitarian aid.
“I join global leaders and peace-loving people around the world in condemning this unprovoked attack by the Russian Federation and the violent invasion Putin is using to drag people into the horrors of war,” Ms. Horwath said.
Liberal MPP John Fraser called for unity and warned that “there is evil in the world.” Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner said he stood in solidarity with Ukrainians and Ukrainian-Canadians “to denounce this senseless act of aggression by Russia.”
-Jeff Gray Back to top
12:20 p.m. ET
U.K. PM Johnson announces sanctions on over 100 Russian individuals and entities
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday announced sanctions on over 100 Russian individuals and entities after Moscow launched an all-out invasion of Ukraine by land, air and sea.
“Overall we will be imposing asset freezes on more than 100 new entities and individuals on top of the hundreds that we’ve already announced,” Johnson told lawmakers.
“This includes all the major manufacturers that support (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s war machine. Furthermore, we are also banning Aeroflot from the U.K..”
-Reuters Back to top
12:01 p.m. ET
Russia police detain at least 167 people at anti-war protests
Russian police detained at least 167 people at anti-war protests that took place in 24 Russian cities on Thursday, the OVD-Info protest monitor said.
Russia launched a massive military operation against Ukraine in the early hours of Thursday. The OVD-Info monitor has documented crackdowns on Russia’s opposition for years.
-Reuters
11:48 a.m. ET
Foreign Affairs minister Joly calls Russia envoy on carpet
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly has summoned Russia’s ambassador to Canada for a dressing down after his country’s invasion of Ukraine.
The minister’s office tells The Canadian Press that Ambassador Oleg V. Stepanov met Joly at the headquarters of Global Affairs Canada, where she condemned “in the strongest possible terms Russia’s egregious attack on Ukraine.”
Joly told Stepanov that Russia has violated Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence.
-The Canadian Press
11:45 a.m. ET
Save the Children raises alarm about Ukrainian children ‘caught in crossfire’ of Russia’s military actions
Save the Children is raising the alarm about millions of children in Ukraine facing grave physical and emotional harm as a result of Russia’s military actions.
The humanitarian group says the explosions in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv and other cities have forced thousands of families into bomb shelters, with parents struggling to calm their terrified children, while thousands of others are fleeing their homes in freezing winter conditions.
”Ukraine’s children are caught in the crossfire of this adult war. It should never have come to this,” said Irina Saghoyan, director of Save the Children’s Eastern Europe. “Children are terrified. They are hearing explosions, they are being asked to flee with just the clothes on their backs. The risk to their mental health and potential for long-term trauma cannot be underestimated.”
The group said more than 400,000 children live in Eastern Ukraine where intense fighting between the Ukrainian and Russian troops is taking place.
At least 100,000 of these children and their families are already known to have left their homes since Monday, sheltering with friends, relatives, and strangers, often in cramped conditions, the group said.
Save the Children called for an immediate end to hostilities, and for all parties to adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian law, to ensure that civilians and civilian objects, especially schools and hospitals, are protected from attack.
The use of explosive weapons in populated areas risks severe harm to civilians, especially children, and should be avoided at all costs, the group said.
-Globe Staff
11:05 a.m. ET
Canada evacuates its diplomats to Poland from Ukraine amid Russian invasion
Canada has evacuated all its diplomats from Ukraine, including ambassador Larisa Galadza, as Russia’s invasion proceeds.
The approximately 10 to 14 staff were whisked across the border to neighbouring Poland in the early hours of Russia’s military offensive against Ukraine, a Canadian government source said.
Canada suspended operations at its Kyiv embassy Feb. 12 and a small group of remaining Canadian diplomats then decamped to the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, where they continued operating and processing immigration and visa applications for Ukrainians or Canadians resident in Ukraine.
It’s not known where the Canadian diplomats have relocated to in Poland but Canada’s embassy in Warsaw is an approximately six-hour drive from Lviv.
-Steven Chase
10:49 a.m. ET
Opinion: Ready or not, Canada must now face the crisis in Ukraine head on
Only hours after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau lifted the state of emergency he had declared in order to clear protesters from Ottawa’s streets, Russia invaded Ukraine, fomenting a far worse emergency.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s vicious and unprovoked assault on another European country in a time of peace is the worst collective security crisis of our time. And Canada is completely unprepared.
“What has happened in the last 24 hours is a huge wake-up call” for Canadians, said Stéfanie von Hlatky, director of the Centre for International and Defence Policy at Queen’s University.
Canadians typically are reluctant to spend seriously on defence. But this country, as part of the Western military alliance NATO, is now under threat, not only in the Arctic and in Europe but from cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns.
Now we confront the reality of a Russia bent on reasserting control over what it sees as its sphere of influence. That sphere includes both Eastern Europe, where Canada has NATO commitments, and the Arctic, where Canada and Russia are unfriendly neighbours.
Answering this challenge will require major investments. We are looking at tens of billions of dollars in procurement costs. Are Canadians prepared to bear that cost?
-John Ibbitson
10:26 a.m. ET
Biden to announce new sanctions against Russia after G7 leaders hold emergency meeting
The White House said U.S. President Joe Biden would announce new sanctions against Russia in a speech early Thursday afternoon.
On Thursday morning, he met with his national security council in the White House situation room, followed by a video call with other G7 leaders, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, to co-ordinate their response to the invasion. The President has been briefed by Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and other national security officials throughout the Russian attack, the White House said.
-Adrian Morrow Back to top
10:02 a.m. ET
Canadian dollar hits two-month low as Russia attacks Ukraine
The Canadian dollar weakened to its lowest level since December against its U.S. counterpart on Thursday as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine triggered a flight to safety in global financial markets.
Stock markets globally slumped and the safe-haven U.S. dollar rallied after the biggest attack by one country against another in Europe since World War Two.
The Canadian dollar was trading 0.7 per cent lower at 1.2819 to the greenback, or 78.01 U.S. cents, after touching its weakest intraday level since Dec. 27 at 1.2847.
The price of oil, one of Canada’s major exports, climbed 7.60 per cent to $99.10 a barrel as the invasion added to concerns about disruptions to global energy supply.
-Reuters
Apartment buildings in and near Kharkiv, Ukraine were on fire and had extensive blast damage on Feb 24. after witnesses said they were shelled as Russia invades the country.
The Globe and Mail
9:29 a.m. ET
Russia to respond to European, U.S. sanctions in tit-for-tat manner
Russia would respond to European and U.S. sanctions with tit-for-tat measures after Western nations sought to punish Moscow for invading Ukraine, Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, said on Thursday.
-Reuters
9:19 a.m. ET
Ukraine’s foreign minister calls for ‘severe’ sanctions on Russia now
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Thursday told other countries to impose tough sanctions on Russia immediately and to provide Ukraine with military and financial support.
“Right now, Putin is plunging Europe into its darkest time since 1939. Any government hoping to sit this out is naive. Don’t repeat mistakes of the past,” Kuleba said on Twitter.
-Reuters
8:37 a.m. ET
Lithuania declares state of emergency after Russia invades Ukraine
Lithuania’s president declared a state of emergency on Thursday, telling the NATO country’s army to deploy along its borders in response to “possible disturbances and provocations due to large military forces massed in Russia and Belarus.”
The state of emergency, declared hours after Russian forces invaded Ukraine, will be valid for two weeks.
Parliament will meet later on Thursday to vote whether to confirm or export President Gitanas Nauseda decision.
-Reuters
8:25 a.m. ET
France will respond without weakness to Russia’s “act of war” on Ukraine, Macron says
France will respond without weakness to Russia’s act of war against Ukraine, said President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday, adding that Russia could expect tough sanctions that would hit its military, its economy and its energy sector.
“The events of last night mark a turning point in the history of Europe,” said Macron in a televised address to the French nation, standing before French, European Union and Ukranian flags.
“We will respond to this act of war without weakness, with cold blood, determination and unity,” he added.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian had also earlier said that France would reinforce its support to Ukraine “in all its forms,” without further specifying whether or not this could include military means.
-Reuters
8:00 a.m. ET
UEFA to move Champions League final from St. Petersburg in wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, source says
UEFA will move this year’s Champions League final from St. Petersburg in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a source with knowledge of the situation told Reuters on Thursday.
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has called an extraordinary meeting of the Executive Committee on Friday morning and it is expected to agree on moving the final.
The Champions League final, the showcase match in European club football, was set to be held at Zenit St Petersburg’s stadium on May 28 – an event that would have normally drawn thousands of fans from across the continent.
A group of European lawmakers wrote to UEFA on Thursday, asking it to change the venue and to stop considering Russian cities for international football competitions.
-Reuters
7:59 a.m. ET
Ukrainians cross into Poland to face an uncertain future and possibly unwelcome reception
Ukrainian citizens arrive at the main train station in Przemysl, Poland, on Feb. 24 on a route from Odessa via Lviv. The exodus from Ukraine into Poland intensified after Russia’s large-stale attack the night before.Omar Marques/Getty Images
Vitali Koval didn’t waste much time packing suitcases after he heard the air raid sirens blaring early Thursday morning around his home in Lviv in western Ukraine.
He and his wife, Oleksandra, quickly stuffed three big suitcase for themselves and their children, Alisa, 5, and Eleonora, who is three. They jumped in a cab, headed for the Polish border and then walked the last short stretch across the boundary, pulling their bags along the highway.
“There is a big queue of the cars on that side,” said Mr. Koval as he pointed across to Ukraine. “There are huge queues at petrol stations and in the markets. People are buying rice or pasta or something.”
The family had already relocated to Lviv from Kyiv a few days ago and now they hope to stay with friends in Poland until they figure out what to do next.
The Kovals were part of a slow but steady stream of people crossing into Poland from Ukraine Thursday morning, just hours after the Russian military intensified its campaign with bombing raids near Lviv, Kyiv and other parts of the country.
While the numbers were small, the fear and anxiety among many of the arrivals was real.
-Paul Waldie in Przemysl, Poland Back to top
Video shot in Boryslav in western Ukraine shows a missile moments before an explosion, and another blast in the distance on Thursday Feb. 24. Boryslav is close to the Polish border where some Ukrainians are fleeing from the Russian invasion of the country.
The Globe and Mail
7:52 a.m. ET
Russian exposed European stocks take hit as West prepares more sanctions
Shares in Russian-exposed companies bore the brunt of selling pressure across European equity markets on Thursday after Russian forces launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Among the hardest hit were shares in London-listed miners Polymetal and Evraz, Polish clothing company LPP, banks Raiffeisen and OTP, and German energy trader Uniper. Their shares were down between 10 and 36% by 9:44 a.m. GMT.
London-listed shares in Russia’s two biggest companies by market value, Sberbank and Gazprom fell as much as 77 per cent and 42 per cent in early trading before recouping some losses. The broader European stock market fell 3 per cent.
-Reuters
7:21 a.m. ET
China rejects calling Russia move ‘invasion,’ urges citizens in Ukraine to stay home
China rejected calling Russia’s moves on Ukraine an “invasion” and urged all sides to exercise restraint, even as it advised its citizens there to stay home or at least take the precaution of displaying a Chinese flag if they needed to drive anywhere.
“China is closely monitoring the latest situation. We call on all sides to exercise restraint to prevent the situation from getting out of control,” said Hua Chunying, spokesperson at China’s foreign ministry.
At a packed daily media briefing in Beijing, Hua bridled at journalists’ characterization of Russia’s actions.
“This is perhaps a difference between China and you Westerners. We won’t go rushing to a conclusion,” she said.
“Regarding the definition of an invasion, I think we should go back to how to view the current situation in Ukraine. The Ukrainian issue has other very complicated historical background that has continued to today. It may not be what everyone wants to see.”
The ministry said later that senior diplomat Wang Yi, also China’s foreign minister, had spoken with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov.
-Reuters
7:22 a.m. ET
U.K. PM Boris Johnson vows massive sanctions against Russia
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Britain and its allies would unleash a massive package of economic sanctions to hobble the Russian economy.
“Today, in concert with our allies, we will agree a massive package of economic sanctions designed in time to hobble the Russian economy,” Johnson said in a televised address to the nation.
He said the West must end its reliance on Russian oil and gas which had given Russian President Vladimir Putin a grip over Western politics: “Our mission is clear: diplomatically, politically, economically, and eventually military, this hideous and barbaric venture of Vladimir Putin must end in failure.”
On Wednesday, Johnson told finance chiefs he wanted to impose the “toughest possible next tranche” of sanctions on Russia, an action he described as being able to “make a difference and change the outcome”.
In earlier comments on Twitter, the British leader called the invasion a “catastrophe” for Europe, and said he would talk to other G7 group of rich nations.
-Reuters
People rest in the Kyiv subway, using it as a bomb shelter after Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine early on Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022.Emilio Morenatti/The Associated Press
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A man kisses a boy who just crossed the border with his relatives on February 24, 2022 in Ubla, Slovakia.Zuzana Gogova/Getty Images
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Police officers inspect the remains of a missile that fell in the street in Kyiv, Ukraine, after Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized a military operation in eastern Ukraine, on February 24, 2022.VALENTYN OGIRENKO/Reuters
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Pixie and Blake, U.S. citizens who did not give their last names, embrace upon reaching the Polish border after fleeing from Lviv, Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.BRYAN WOOLSTON/Reuters
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People queue at an ATM in Lviv, after a Russian invasion of eastern Ukraine commenced on Feb. 24, 2022.PAVLO PALAMARCHUK/Reuters
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Cars queue at a gas station, after Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized a military operation in eastern Ukraine, in Lviv, Ukraine February 24, 2022.PAVLO PALAMARCHUK/Reuters
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Ukrainian military vehicles move past Independence square in central Kyiv on February 24, 2022.DANIEL LEAL/AFP/Getty Images
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People from neighboring Ukraine, rest at a train station hall that was turned into an accommodation center in Przemysl, Poland, on Thursday, Feb. 24 2022.Czarek Sokolowski/The Associated Press
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A woman holds her baby inside a bus as they leave Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022.Emilio Morenatti/The Associated Press
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A slow but steady stream of people cross the border into Medyka, Poland from Ukraine in the hours after bombing started outside Lviv on Thursday.Anna Liminowicz /The Globe and Mail
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People stand around a damaged structure caused by a rocket on February 24, 2022 in Kyiv, Ukraine.Chris McGrath/Getty Images
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People wait at Boryspil International Airport after Russia launched a massive military operation against Ukraine, in Boryspil, Ukraine, on Feb. 24, 2022.UMIT BEKTAS/Reuters
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People lie in the Kyiv subway, using it as a bomb shelter in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022.Emilio Morenatti/The Associated Press
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Firefighters work on a fire on a building after bombings on the eastern Ukraine town of Chuguiv on Feb. 24, 2022.ARIS MESSINIS/AFP/Getty Images
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Black smoke rises from a military airport in Chuguyev near Kharkiv on February 24, 2022.ARIS MESSINIS/AFP/Getty Images
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Hotel residents start their morning in the underground parking garage after airstrikes began in Kyiv, Ukraine on Feb. 24.ANTON SKYBA
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A slow but steady stream of people cross the border into Poland from Ukraine in the hours after bombing started outside Lviv on Thursday.Anna Liminowicz /The Globe and Mail
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A major Kyiv road, which leads to Western Ukraine, is jammed with evacuees on Feb. 24.ANTON SKYBA/The Globe and Mail
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An American woman cries after crossing the border and fleeing the violence in Ukraine, in Medyka, Poland.BRYAN WOOLSTON/Reuters
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Fog covers Kyiv after multiple attacks on on military infrastructure were reported.ANTON SKYBA/The Globe and Mail
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Fleeing Ukraine, the Koval family walked across the Polish-Ukrainian border Thursday morning.Anna Liminowicz /The Globe and Mail
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People wait at a bus station as they attempt to evacuate the city on February 24, 2022 in Kyiv, Ukraine.Pierre Crom/Getty Images
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Traffic jams are seen as people leave the city of Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022.Emilio Morenatti/The Associated Press
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Kyiv residents attempt to leave Kyiv from Central Railway Station despite the shortage of tickets.ANTON SKYBA/The Globe and Mail
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People wait in a traffic jam as they leave the city of Kharkiv, in Eastern Ukraine.ANTONIO BRONIC/Reuters
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People line up at a national bank ATM in Kyiv.ANTON SKYBA/The Globe and Mail
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Damaged radar arrays and other equipment is seen at Ukrainian military facility outside Mariupol, Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022.Sergei Grits/The Associated Press
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Smoke and flame rise near a military building after an apparent Russian strike in Kyiv, Ukraine.Efrem Lukatsky/The Associated Press
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Ukrainian soldiers ride in a military vehicle in Mariupol, Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022.Sergei Grits/The Associated Press
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A local resident sits in a car as they packing to leave the city, after Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized a military operation in eastern Ukraine, in Mariupol, February 24, 2022.CARLOS BARRIA/Reuters
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Ukrainian citizens carry suitcases as they exit a train arriving from Odessa via Lviv at Przemysl main train station on February 24, 2022 in Przemysl, Poland.Omar Marques/Getty Images
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Ukrainian servicemen get ready to repel Russian attack in Ukraine’s Lugansk region on February 24, 2022.ANATOLII STEPANOV/AFP/Getty Images
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Uniformed people throw items into a fire outside an intelligence building on the premises of the Ukrainian Defence Ministry’s unit in Kyiv on February 24, 2022.UMIT BEKTAS/Reuters
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A man stands in front of a Russian Ka-52 helicopter gunship in the field after a forced landing outside Kyiv, Ukraine on February 24, 2022.Efrem Lukatsky/The Associated Press
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A woman walks past debris in the aftermath of Russian shelling as a firefighter works behind her to extinguish flames in Mariupol, Ukraine on February, 24, 2022.Evgeniy Maloletka/The Associated Press
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People take shelter in a subway station in Kyiv on February 24, 2022.VIACHESLAV RATYNSKYI/Reuters
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A car damaged during Russian shelling is seen parked on a street in Mariupol, Ukraine on Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022.Evgeniy Maloletka/The Associated Press
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People rush on a platform to board a Kyiv bound train in Kramatorsk in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine on February 24, 2022.VADIM GHIRDA/The Associated Press
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A person walks past discarded luggage carts at Boryspil International Airport in eastern Ukraine on February 24, 2022.UMIT BEKTAS/Reuters
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A woman and child peer out of the window of a bus as they leave Sievierodonetsk, the Luhansk region in eastern Ukraine, on Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022.Vadim Ghirda/The Associated Press
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7:03 a.m. ET
Ukraine shuts down ports as conflict threatens grain supplies
Ukraine’s military has suspended commercial shipping at its ports after Russian forces invaded the country, an adviser to the Ukrainian president’s chief of staff said, stoking fear of supply disruption from the leading grain and oilseeds exporters.
Russia earlier suspended the movement of commercial vessels in the Azov Sea until further notice, but kept Russian ports in the Black Sea open for navigation, its officials and five grain industry sources said on Thursday.
Ukraine is a major exporter of corn (maize), much of it destined for China and the European Union. It also competes with Russia to supply wheat to major buyers such as Egypt and Turkey.
“The market is still struggling to get a clear picture about the actual military situation on the ground. The ports in the Azov and Black Sea so far seem not to have been damaged according to the initial shipping agency reports,” one European grain trader said.
Shipping group Maersk said on Thursday it has halted all port calls in Ukraine until the end of February and has shut its main office in Odessa on the Black Sea coast, because of the conflict.
-Reuters
6:08 a.m. ET
NATO agrees to beef up eastern flank over Ukraine attack
NATO agreed at emergency talks on Thursday to further beef up its land, sea and air forces on its eastern flank near Ukraine and Russia, putting hundreds of warplanes and ships on alert, after President Vladimir Putin ordered a military offensive in Ukraine.
“We are deploying additional defensive land and air forces to the eastern part of the alliance, as well as additional maritime assets,” NATO ambassadors said in a statement. “We have increased the readiness of our forces to respond to all contingencies.”
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg also said he had convened a virtual emergency summit of the alliance’s 30 nations for Friday, which is set to include U.S. President Joe Biden, and they would be joined by the leaders of Sweden, Finland and European Union institutions.
-The Associated Press Back to top
5:06 a.m. ET
Ukrainians flee as Putin warns other countries not to interfere
People wait for buses at a bus station as they attempt to evacuate the city on February 24, 2022 in Kyiv, Ukraine.Pierre Crom/Getty Images
The highways out of Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities were jammed with traffic on Thursday, as thousands of Ukrainians fled their homes in the first hours after a Russian invasion of their country began.
Residents of the Ukrainian capital were awaked by a series of early morning missile and air strikes, followed by the belated sound of an air raid siren. Attacks were reported on cities across the country, with airports and military bases – along with the Black Sea port of Odessa – appearing to be the main target in the first wave.
In a televised address broadcast as the attack began, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned other countries that any attempt to interfere would “lead to consequences you have never seen in history.” He said the aim was to “demilitarize” Ukraine – a country he has sought to portray as a threat to Russia – and said his army didn’t plan to occupy the country.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the war was about more than just this country. He said Mr. Putin “has unleashed a war with Ukraine and the entire democratic world” and “wants to destroy our state, everything that we have built.” He compared the Russian invasion to the attacks that Nazi Germany launched against its neighbours during the Second World War.
-Mark MacKinnon in Kyiv, Nathan VanderKlippe in Odessa, Ukraine Back to top
Maidan Nezalezhnosti, or Independence Square, at dusk on Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022 in Kyiv, Ukraine. The square was the site of protests in 2014 that toppled Ukraine’s pro-Russian president, Viktor Yanukovych.Brendan Hoffman/The New York Times News Service
Russia launches attacks on Ukrainian cities as Putin declares military operation. Here are the latest updates:
Explosions were heard in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv early Friday as Russian forces pressed on with a full-scale invasion in what has the potential to be the biggest conflict Europe has seen since the Second World War.
Ukrainian President says 137 civilians and military personnel have been killed, hundreds more wounded as he ordered full military mobilization.
Canada has placed 3,400 military personnel on standby to be deployed to Europe if necessary, Defence Minister Anita Anand announced Thursday.
Across the country, Canadian business leaders, politicians and citizens react to the Russian invasion.
Canada and other Western countries like the United States and the United Kingdom are preparing to sanction Russian banks and oligarchs, and impose technology export bans, to punish President Vladimir Putin for his invasion of Ukraine.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has sent energy and agricultural prices soaring, adding to global inflationary pressures and putting central banks around the world in a delicate position.
The highways out of Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities were jammed with traffic on Thursday, as thousands of Ukrainians fled their homes in the first hours after the Russian invasion began. A steady stream of people have been crossing into Przemysl, Poland, the city nearest to the border that is expected to see one million refugees.
How can I help Ukraine? Resources and tips for Canadians
10:27 p.m. ET
Several explosions heard in Kyiv early Friday as Russian forces pressed on with assault
Explosions were heard in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv early Friday as Russian forces pressed on with a full-scale invasion in the first full day of fighting and could eventually rewrite the global post-Cold War security order.
After using airstrikes on cities and military bases, Russian military units moved swiftly to take on Ukraine’s seat of government and its largest city in what U.S. officials suspect is a brazen attempt by Russian President Vladimir Putin to dismantle the government and replace it with his own regime.
Ukrainian leaders pleaded for help as civilians piled into trains and cars to flee, and hotels in Kyiv were being evacuated amid early indications of an assault.
One senior U.S. defense official described the attack so far as the first salvo in a multi-phase invasion aimed at seizing key population centers and “decapitating” Ukraine’s government.
-The Associated Press
10:03 p.m. ET
Opinion: Are allies willing to bear the high cost of making Putin pay?
“We cannot allow this to be the end of the post-World-War-Two rules-based order,” Chrystia Freeland told reporters on Thursday. “It could be.”
Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister often talks about the rules-based order, and it can sound academic, but in this case it was an appropriately ominous warning.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has, at any rate, shattered norms that the world counted on to deter catastrophe, using great-power military might to invade a democracy.
Ukrainians now face bombs and bloody war, but Ms. Freeland’s point was that the threat is not only to Ukraine, but a challenge to the order that has protected democracies from domination by stronger powers. For a long time, autocrats didn’t dare do this, and if nothing is done now, someone – not necessarily just Mr. Putin – will do it again.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau insisted, more than once, that Mr. Putin can’t be allowed to benefit from invasion – and it should be obvious that Canada has every interest in uniting with other democracies to make Mr. Putin pay.
The threat of sanctions didn’t deter Mr. Putin from invasion, but Mr. Biden argued that the effects of the measures – especially over time – will so weaken Russia’s economy that Mr. Putin will face a difficult choice.
-Campbell Clark
9:55 p.m. ET
Russian embassy in Canada says NATO ‘created immediate danger’
The Russian embassy is Canada released a statement Thursday that attempted to justify President Vladimir Putin’s actions.
It said the “political-military situation” and NATO’s military posture in Europe “created a clear and immediate danger for Russia that could not have been mitigated by any other means than those Russia has to use today.”
The embassy said Russia’s repeated efforts to negotiate a new security arrangement in Europe have been scorned by the West.
It warned “attempts by the West to turn Ukraine into a kind of ‘anti- Russia’ will not succeed.”
The embassy said for two decades Moscow had expressed concern over enlargement of NATO, a development it called “a clear threat to our security.” The embassy said Russia had proposed solutions premised on principles including “not strengthening security at the expense of others.” It said this included efforts to incentivize Ukraine to “join this dialogue.”
The embassy said however Russia’s efforts were “put on the back burner or haughtily ridiculed.”
It concluded by saying “the road to peace remains open” and that Russia remains receptive to “meaningful dialogue” on a new security arrangement in “Europe and the Euro-Atlantic.”
-Steven Chase
9:36 p.m. ET
Afghan refugees stuck in Ukraine with no exit in sight
Afghan refugee Jawed Haqmal stands alone in Maidan square in Kyiv, on Feb. 24, 2022.ANTON SKYBA/The Globe and Mail
Afghan refugees who fled to Ukraine after the Taliban takeover of their home country are terrified that they have once again found themselves in a war zone, with no obvious exit.
“Everything is finished,” said Jawed Haqmal,who worked as a translator for the Canadian military in Afghanistan and has been living in a Kyiv hotel with his family since the end of August. “Just like a war zone, everyone is running to the shelters, streets are full of the army. Just like war, the same as what was going on in front of the airport of Kabul on the last day. The same thing is going on here.”
Haqmal’s family of 12 arrived in Ukraine after being evacuated from Afghanistan by Ukrainian special forces, a mission that was carried out following a request from The Globe and Mail to the office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Their stay in Ukraine was supposed to be a temporary stop on their way to Canada. The family, and others, are now trapped in Ukraine due to a bureaucratic delay.
Aidan Strickland, a spokesperson for Immigration Minister Sean Fraser, said IRCC “has been made aware of complex cases of Afghan citizens who are seeking resettlement to Canada, but are currently in Ukraine.”
-Janice Dickson
9:20 p.m. ET
Ukrainian-Canadian community rallies as Russian forces attack Ukraine
People in Vancouver attend a rally in support of the people of Ukraine, on Feb. 24, 2022.DARRYL DYCK/The Canadian Press
Canada has the largest Ukrainian population in the world, outside Russia and Ukraine. About 1.4 million Canadians are of Ukrainian ancestry, not counting significant additional populations of non-ethnic Ukrainians, among them Mennonites, Jews, Poles, Romanians and Swedes.
At the Ukrainian Cultural and Education Centre in Winnipeg, Yulia Zmerzla had a sleepless night watching the news in both Ukrainian and Russian. She came to Canada eight years ago and still has many friends and family in Ukraine, including her parents. “I spoke to my parents today, and they told me that life will never be the same again after today,” she said, through tears.
On Thursday, demonstrations were popping up in Montreal, Toronto, Edmonton and Vancouver to denounce Russia’s attack on Ukraine, and fundraisers were being set up to raise money both for humanitarian aid and military supplies for the country.
Jurij R. Klufas, president of the Ukrainian National Federation of Canada, said he, too, was having trouble reconciling the reality of what was happening in Ukraine, something he said seemed more like a relic of a primitive past, “when everybody used to resolve issues with war.”
“It’s very troubling to see at this time, in modern society, having somebody push in a military way their colonial convictions from the last two centuries,” he said. “It’s kind of almost crazy, surreal, to be seeing this kind of thing happening in today’s modern society, and in Europe.”
-Jana G. Pruden, Kathryn Helmore and Ntawnis Piapot, with files from Wendy Stueck and Oliver Moore
9:04 p.m. ET
Taiwan to join countries sanctioning Russia
Taiwan Premier Su Tseng-chang said the island will join “democratic countries” to put sanctions on Russia over the invasion of Ukraine, although he did not give details.
The crisis is being watched closely in Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory and has faced increased military pressure by Beijing over the last two years.
”We very harshly condemn such an act of invasion and will join democratic countries to jointly impose sanctions,” Su told reporters in Taipei without giving details. Taiwan Economy Minister Wang Mei-hua told reporters the island will “harshly scrutinize” exports to Russia and “coordinate” with unspecified allies for further actions. She did not elaborate.
-Reuters
8:20 p.m. ET
Ukraine’s president stays put as Russian invaders advance
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy vowed on Friday to stay in Kyiv as his troops battled Russian invaders who are advancing toward the capital in the biggest attack on a European state since World War Two.
U.S. and Ukrainian officials say Russia aims to capture Kyiv and topple the government.
“(The) enemy has marked me down as the number one target,” Zelenskiy warned in a video message. “My family is the number two target. They want to destroy Ukraine politically by destroying the head of state.”
“I will stay in the capital. My family is also in Ukraine.”
-Reuters
8:06 p.m. ET
UN gives $20-million to scale up Ukraine humanitarian aid
People rest in the Kyiv subway, using it as a bomb shelter in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022.Emilio Morenatti/The Associated Press
The United Nations announced it is immediately allocating $20 million to scale up UN humanitarian operations in Ukraine.
Secretary-general Antonio Guterres made the announcement saying the UN and its humanitarian partners “are committed to staying and delivering, to support people in Ukraine in their time of need … regardless of who or where they are.”
“With deaths rising, we are seeing images of fear, anguish and terror in every corner of Ukraine,” the UN chief said. “People – everyday innocent people – always pay the highest price.”
UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths said the $20 million from the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund will support emergency operations along the contact line in eastern Donetsk and Luhansk and in other areas of the country, and will “help with health care, shelter, food, and water and sanitation to the most vulnerable people affected by the conflict.”
-The Associated Press
8:06 p.m. ET
Watch: History professor from Kyiv on Ukraine’s response to Russia invasion
Olgah Martynyuk, a history professor at the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, who left the city this morning by train to Przemysl, Poland. She’s speaking in a reception centre set up in the train station after her 14-hour journey.
The Globe and Mail
They came in a steady stream, looking weary and confused as they made their way through the train station in Przemysl, a small Polish city about 10 kilometres from the border with Ukraine. Some had come from Kyiv, others from Lviv, in western Ukraine, and still more from farther east.
Olgah Martynyuk, a history professor at Kyiv’s Polytechnic Institute, made a mad rush for the train after hearing bombs drop around the capital Thursday morning. “I woke up from blasts in the morning and I packed up,” Prof. Martynyuk said as she sat in Przemysl’s train station after a 14-hour journey. She was happy to be safe but felt unsettled about leaving her country. “I still feel enormous guilt,” she said. “What did we do wrong that all of this is happening?”
Poland has been bracing for months for the possibility of as many as one million refugees from Ukraine in the wake of a Russian invasion. Preparations have been slow to roll out, and on Thursday officials in Przemysl, the Polish city closest to the border, still appeared to be scrambling to come up with some kind of support structure.
On Thursday night the train station was expecting as many as 2,000 refugees to arrive on two trains from Kyiv early Friday morning. But just two local officials were on hand to help. “I’m afraid that we will lose control,” one said.
-Paul Waldie in Prezmysl, Poland and Nathan VanderKlippe in Odessa, Ukraine
7:44 p.m. ET
Energy: the one sanction against Russia the West isn’t prepared to trigger
The most effective economic weapon that the West has in its arsenal to retaliate against Russia’s attack on Ukraine is a boycott of Russia’s oil.
It’s also the one that U.S. President Joe Biden and his allies can’t afford to use.
On Thursday, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine propelled oil prices above US$100 a barrel for the first time in almost eight years as traders weighed the potential of the conflict to cause severe supply disruptions in Europe and beyond.
With inventories tight, the world can ill afford the loss of 4.3-million barrels a day of exports from the third-largest producing country, despite its aggression. Even before the attack, Russia struggled to meet its own OPEC+ commitments to increase output.
The West have set some serious economic sanctions, but not knockout blows as Russian tanks and troops roll into Ukraine. Oil and gas exports account for nearly 60 per cent of Russian exports, so pinching off energy shipments would inflict the most damage. From an oil standpoint, it’s something that would be far too costly for the world, no more so than in the United States.
-Jeffrey Jones
7:26 p.m. ET
U.S. condemns report of hostages at Chernobyl
The White House is expressing outrage at “credible reports” from Ukrainian officials that the staff at the shuttered Chernoybl nuclear plant have been taken hostage by Russian troops.
“We condemn it and we request their release,” said press secretary Jen Psaki.
Psaki spoke after Alyona Shevtsova, an adviser to the commander of Ukraine’s Ground Forces, wrote on Facebook that the staff at the Chernobyl plant had been “taken hostage” when Russian troops seized the facility.
-The Associated Press
7:02 p.m. ET
Propaganda, fake videos of Ukraine invasion bombard users
The invasion of Ukraine is shaping up to be Europe’s first major armed conflict of the social media age, when the small screen of the smartphone is the dominant tool of communication, carrying with it the peril of an instantaneous spread of dangerous, even deadly, disinformation.
TikTok videos, propagandized headlines and tweets pinging out across screens around the world are confusing millions about the reality of how this battle is unfolding on the ground.
Over the last few days, Putin and Russian media have ramped up false accusations that Ukrainians are committing genocide, and mischaracterizing the majority of the country’s population as Nazis, said Bret Schafer, who heads the information manipulation team at the Alliance for Securing Democracy, a non-partisan think tank in Washington.
-The Associated Press
6:49 p.m. ET
Canadian political leaders condemn Russian invasion of Ukraine, declare it ‘a war of aggression’
Canadian political leaders widely condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine on Thursday, with some premiers declaring it “a war of aggression,” and expressing support for efforts by Canada and other western nations to impose economic sanctions on Russia.
“This is a dark day,” B.C. Premier John Horgan wrote on Twitter. “I join the PM and allied nations in deploring this illegal and unjust war. We stand with the people of Ukraine, and the many people in BC with family and friends there.”
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney called the invasion “devastating,” tweeting “Weakness invites aggression. The democratic world must be united in standing with Ukraine. That should begin with a hard global embargo of all Russian oil & gas exports.”
Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson tweeted that her province joined the federal government in calling on Russia to end its invasion, writing “It’s hard to imagine how difficult watching the news must be for so many Manitobans who have loved ones in Ukraine.”
-Globe Staff
6:30 p.m. ET
Ukrainian President says 137 civilians and military personnel have been killed
A woman holds her baby as she gets on a bus leaving Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022.Emilio Morenatti/The Associated Press
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says 137 civilians and military personnel have been killed so far in the Russian invasion of his country.
He calls them “heroes” in a video address released early Friday local time, in which he also says hundreds more have been wounded.
Zelensky says that despite Russia’s claim it is attacking only military targets, civilian sites also have been struck. In his words: “They’re killing people and turning peaceful cities into military targets. It’s foul and will never be forgiven.”
The president says all border guards on Zmiinyi island in the Odesa region were killed Thursday. Ukraine’s border guard service earlier in the day reported that the island was taken by the Russians.
-The Associated Press
6:27 p.m. ET
Ukraine president orders full military mobilization
President Volodymyr Zelensky issued a decree Thursday evening ordering a full military mobilization to challenge the Russian invasion. He said the mobilization would last 90 days.
He ordered the military’s General Staff to determine the number of those liable for service and reservists as well as the order of the call-up.
Zelensky gave his Cabinet the job of allocating funds to pay for the mobilization.
-The Associated Press
6:05 p.m. ET
Opinion: Shock, not awe, as an old-fashioned war unfolds on TV
It began, as invasions always begin, in the hour before dawn. On CNN, at around 10:15 p.m. in the eastern time zone on Wednesday evening, Don Lemon wasn’t talking about Donald Trump’s legal problems any more. He was talking to a jittery Matthew Chase in Kyiv. It was 5:15 a.m. there.
The CNN correspondent was putting on a flak jacket and a helmet, reporting from a hotel balcony that he’d heard numerous explosions in the distance, possibly from near the main airport. The sun would rise there in an hour, and the invasion of Ukraine seemed to be under way. Other CNN correspondents were reporting explosions and troop movements, Mr. Lemon said.
Over on Fox News, the channel’s limitations were obvious: no correspondents in Ukraine to report. Bret Baier sat in the studio and solemnly called on people to pray for Ukraine, adding that President Joe Biden didn’t want “a gunfight” there. As pundits chimed in, the topic of Mr. Trump’s relationship with Mr. Putin was raised but petered out.
The all-news channels were so well-prepared for the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it seemed hard to believe it was happening.
-John Doyle
5:40 p.m. ET
Ukrainian-Canadian business leaders voice distress over Russian invasion
Business leaders in the Canadian-Ukrainian community say they are extremely concerned for the safety of friends and employees in Ukraine.
Zenon Potichny, president of the Canada-Ukraine Chamber of Commerce, which represents more than 200 companies that do business in the two countries, said the situation on the ground is very serious.
He said he hopes all of Canada stands with the people of Ukraine, especially as more than a million Canadians are of Ukrainian descent.
-Chris Hannay
5:26 p.m. ET
Watch: Missile strikes and helicopter deployments mark first day of Russian attacks on Ukraine
Russian forces attacked Ukraine early Thursday with some of their movements caught on video. A convoy of armoured vehicles drove into Ukraine from Belarus, Russian forces moved to take control of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and military helicopters flew near a major airport north of Kyiv.
The Globe and Mail
Russian forces attacked Ukraine early Thursday with some of their movements caught on video. A convoy of armoured vehicles drove into Ukraine from Belarus, Russian forces moved to take control of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and military helicopters flew near a major airport north of Kyiv.
4:14 p.m. ET
Hundreds arrested as shocked Russians protest attack on Ukraine
Shocked Russians turned out by the thousands Thursday to decry their country’s invasion of Ukraine as emotional calls for protests grew on social media. Some 1,702 people in 53 Russian cities were detained, at least 940 of them in Moscow.
Hundreds of posts came pouring in condemning Moscow’s most aggressive actions since the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Vladimir Putin called the attack a “special military operation” to protect civilians in eastern Ukraine from “genocide” – a false claim the U.S. had predicted would be a pretext for invasion, and which many Russians roundly rejected.
– The Associated Press
4:14 p.m. ET
Another 3,400 Canadian troops placed on standby to deploy to Europe if necessary, Defence Minister says
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly look on as Defence Minister Anita Anand speaks during a news conference, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022 in Ottawa.Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press
Canada has placed 3,400 military personnel on standby to be deployed to Europe if necessary, Defence Minister Anita Anand announced.
These Armed Forces members from the army, navy and air force are being readied to deploy to a “NATO response force should they be needed,” she said.
Several NATO members including Latvia and Estonia have formally requested consultations under Article Four of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which calls for meetings when “the territorial integrity, political independence or security of any of the parties is threatened.” These former Soviet republics have long feared that Russian expansionism would one day target them as well.
“We cannot allow Putin to redraw maps and to rewrite history to suit his own purposes. If we must, we will stand up against these efforts to sow discord, deceit and violence,” Ms. Anand said.
– Steven Chase
3:03 p.m. ET
Russian troops advancing toward Kyiv as war rages in Ukraine
Liudmila Pirolt waits on a ferry to cross the Danube River to Romania after fleeing her home in Izmail, Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. Nathan Vanderklippe/The Globe and MailNathan VanderKlippe/The Globe and Mail
Russia invaded Ukraine from three directions on Thursday, advancing toward the capital city of Kyiv in the first hours of what has the potential to be the biggest conflict Europe has seen since the Second World War.
Kyiv’s main Boryspil International Airport was hit in Wednesday night’s first wave of attacks, and Russian paratroopers appeared to have taken control of the city’s Hostomel cargo airport by the end of Thursday after a battle that involved a squadron of Russian attack helicopters. Control of Hostomel would allow Russia to fly more troops to the edge of Kyiv, which Western officials believe is Russian President Vladimir Putin’s main target.
As the threat of a battle for the capital grew, tens of thousands of Kyiv residents packed their lives into cars and headed toward the relative safety of Western Ukraine, and the European Union beyond. The exodus created hours-long traffic jams that stretched to the horizon.
The last-minute panic was caused in part by the Ukrainian government’s strategy of playing down the threat of invasion, saying it had been hyped up by Western governments and media. Kyiv abruptly switched tactics this week, declaring a state of emergency and calling up some reservists on Wednesday. On Thursday, a dusk-till-dawn curfew was introduced in most of the country.
Within hours of the attacks, lines and shortages began to form at gas stations, banking machines and currency exchange shops across the country. When Liudmila Pirolt tried to buy groceries Thursday in Izmail, near the Romanian border, she was told “no bread.” Nearby gas stations, too, had gone dry. “So no petrol, no food and people are lined up at banks,” she said.
-Mark MacKinnon and Nathan VanderKlippe
1:52 p.m. ET
Ukraine invasion fuels inflation, putting central banks in delicate position as they look to hike rates
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has sent energy and agricultural prices soaring, adding to global inflationary pressures and putting central banks around the world in a delicate position as they embark on a much-anticipated rate hike cycle.
Russia is one of the world’s largest energy producers, and both Russia and Ukraine are major food producers, together accounting for more than a quarter of the global wheat exports. Disruptions caused by the conflict have already begun to ripple through global commodity markets, pushing up consumer prices and adding fuel to fears about spiralling inflation.
“Watch the food inflation story. Russia is a global commodity superstore, they are not a gas station. Their ability to inflict serious harm to consumers across the world is substantial,” Helima Croft, Royal Bank of Canada’s head of global commodity strategy, said in an interview.
The price of oil on both sides of the Atlantic shot past US$100 a barrel on Thursday morning for the first time since 2014, although West Texas Intermediate crude was back around $96 a barrel by mid day. Meanwhile, the price of wheat futures contracts in the United States rose around 5.5 per cent on Thursday morning, while corn contracts were up around 2.25 per cent.
-Mark Rendell
1:50 p.m. ET
Canada urged to expel Russia’s ambassador over military offensive against Ukraine
Canada is being urged to expel Russia’s ambassador Oleg Stepanov in the wake of Moscow’s unprovoked attack on Ukraine.
“The Russian ambassador should be sent home. He represents a terrorist, criminal regime,” said Orest Zakydalsky, a senior official with the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, which represents people of Ukrainian heritage in Canada.
Marcus Kolga, president of the Central and Eastern European Council in Canada and a senior fellow at the Macdonald Laurier Institute think tank, agreed, saying that “expelling the ambassador would send a strong message that Canada will not tolerate his government’s neo-imperialist aggression.”
Former federal Industry Minister James Moore also called for Mr. Stepanov to be expelled, urging Parliamentarians to lead the way by tabling a motion in the House of Commons to this effect. The Canadian government does not require Parliamentary consent for ousting foreign envoys.
-Steven Chase
1:42 p.m. ET
Harder sanctions from Canada, Western allies await Russia over Ukraine invasion
In response to the Feb. 24 attacks on Ukraine, Canada’s new sanctions target a number of individuals and entities, including Russian elites and members of the Russian Security Council. In addition, all export permits to Russia have been cancelled or denied. This amounts to hundreds of permits worth more than $7-million, says Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly.
Canada and other western countries are preparing to sanction Russian banks and oligarchs, and impose technology export bans, to punish President Vladimir Putin for his invasion of Ukraine.
The economic measures will freeze the western assets of major Russian financial institutions, curb the flow of semiconductors and other high-technology products into Russia and hit a range of other major Russian companies.
The West, however, stopped short of kicking Russia out of the SWIFT system for processing international financial transactions or imposing new sanctions on Russia’s crucial oil and gas industry. European countries have significant trading relationships with Russia and rely heavily on the country for energy imports.
The leaders of the G7, including U.S. President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and the heads of the European Union spoke by video conference Thursday morning to co-ordinate measures designed to impose economic pain following Russia’s sweeping attack on its democratic neighbour.
Mr. Trudeau announced afterwards that Canada will target 62 Russian individuals and entities, including members of the Russian elite and their family members, as well as the military contractor Wagner Group and major Russian banks. He said these include members of the Russian Security Council, including the Defence Minister, the Finance Minister, and the Justice Minister.
“These sanctions are wide-reaching. They will impose severe costs on complicit Russian elites, and they will limit President Putin’s ability to continue funding this unjustified invasion,” Mr. Trudeau told reporters.
-Adrian Morrow and Steven Chase
1:24 p.m. ET
Officials say Ukraine no longer in control of Chernobyl site
A presidential adviser says Ukraine lost control of the Chernobyl nuclear site, where Ukrainian forces had waged a fierce battle with Russian troops.
Adviser Myhailo Podolyak told The Associated Press that Ukrainian authorities did not know the current condition of the facilities at Chernobyl, the site of the world’s worst nuclear disaster.
“After the absolutely senseless attack of the Russians in this direction, it is impossible to say that the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is safe,” he said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had announced several hours earlier Thursday that Russian forces were trying to seize the Chernobyl nuclear plant.
A nuclear reactor at the plant 130 kilometres (80 miles) north of Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, exploded in April 1986, sending a radioactive cloud across Europe.
The exploded reactor was covered by a protective shelter several years ago to prevent radiation leaks.
A Ukrainian official said Russian shelling hit a radioactive waste repository and an increase in radiation levels was reported. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter.
It was not immediately possible for experts to access the repository to assess damage before Russian forces overtook the site.
-The Associated Press
12:45 p.m. ET
Ontario Premier Doug Ford calls Russian President Vladimir Putin a ‘thug’
Ontario Premier Doug Ford called Russian President Vladimir Putin “a despot” and “a thug” for his invasion of Ukraine on Thursday, noting Ukraine’s deep ties to Canada and vowing that democracy must be defended.
“Last night, we witnessed a violent attack on a sovereign nation by a despot, a thug,” Mr. Ford told the Ontario Legislature. “We witnessed Vladimir Putin’s war of aggression begin in Ukraine.”
In a brief but unusually poetic speech that prompted a standing ovation from both sides of the legislature, the premier compared the attack to the beginnings of both the First World War and the Second World War, adding that “we must pray” Feb. 24, 2022, does not become another infamous date in history books.
He said the bonds between Canada and Ukraine run deep, noting the wave of Ukrainian immigrants that settled and farmed across Western Canada, whose descendants remain. And he listed prominent Canadians of Ukrainian origin, such as hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, late game show host Alex Trebek and astronaut Roberta Bondar.
“They left a permanent mark on Canadian history,” he said. “Without Ukraine, the Canada we know and love today would not be the same.”
Mr. Ford said Canada “shall never waver” in standing against tyranny, defending democracy and supporting Ukraine. And he warned Russia the strength of Ukrainians would “emerge from the darkness.”
“We must ensure the Ukrainian flag flies high above the skyline. The blue and yellow must be the last colours the invaders see,” the premier said. He ended his remarks with the Ukrainian national salute, partially in Ukrainian, followed by its English translation: “Glory to Ukraine. Glory to the heroes.”
Ontario Opposition NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said she stood in solidarity with Ukrainians and their worried relatives in Canada. She condemned the attack and called for “diplomacy and immediate de-escalation” of military actions. She asked the federal government to welcome Ukrainian refugees and provide humanitarian aid.
“I join global leaders and peace-loving people around the world in condemning this unprovoked attack by the Russian Federation and the violent invasion Putin is using to drag people into the horrors of war,” Ms. Horwath said.
Liberal MPP John Fraser called for unity and warned that “there is evil in the world.” Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner said he stood in solidarity with Ukrainians and Ukrainian-Canadians “to denounce this senseless act of aggression by Russia.”
-Jeff Gray
12:20 p.m. ET
U.K. PM Johnson announces sanctions on over 100 Russian individuals and entities
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday announced sanctions on over 100 Russian individuals and entities after Moscow launched an all-out invasion of Ukraine by land, air and sea.
“Overall we will be imposing asset freezes on more than 100 new entities and individuals on top of the hundreds that we’ve already announced,” Johnson told lawmakers.
“This includes all the major manufacturers that support (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s war machine. Furthermore, we are also banning Aeroflot from the U.K..”
-Reuters
12:01 p.m. ET
Russia police detain at least 167 people at anti-war protests
Russian police detained at least 167 people at anti-war protests that took place in 24 Russian cities on Thursday, the OVD-Info protest monitor said.
Russia launched a massive military operation against Ukraine in the early hours of Thursday. The OVD-Info monitor has documented crackdowns on Russia’s opposition for years.
-Reuters
11:48 a.m. ET
Foreign Affairs minister Joly calls Russia envoy on carpet
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly has summoned Russia’s ambassador to Canada for a dressing down after his country’s invasion of Ukraine.
The minister’s office tells The Canadian Press that Ambassador Oleg V. Stepanov met Joly at the headquarters of Global Affairs Canada, where she condemned “in the strongest possible terms Russia’s egregious attack on Ukraine.”
Joly told Stepanov that Russia has violated Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence.
-The Canadian Press
11:45 a.m. ET
Save the Children raises alarm about Ukrainian children ‘caught in crossfire’ of Russia’s military actions
Save the Children is raising the alarm about millions of children in Ukraine facing grave physical and emotional harm as a result of Russia’s military actions.
The humanitarian group says the explosions in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv and other cities have forced thousands of families into bomb shelters, with parents struggling to calm their terrified children, while thousands of others are fleeing their homes in freezing winter conditions.
”Ukraine’s children are caught in the crossfire of this adult war. It should never have come to this,” said Irina Saghoyan, director of Save the Children’s Eastern Europe. “Children are terrified. They are hearing explosions, they are being asked to flee with just the clothes on their backs. The risk to their mental health and potential for long-term trauma cannot be underestimated.”
The group said more than 400,000 children live in Eastern Ukraine where intense fighting between the Ukrainian and Russian troops is taking place.
At least 100,000 of these children and their families are already known to have left their homes since Monday, sheltering with friends, relatives, and strangers, often in cramped conditions, the group said.
Save the Children called for an immediate end to hostilities, and for all parties to adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian law, to ensure that civilians and civilian objects, especially schools and hospitals, are protected from attack.
The use of explosive weapons in populated areas risks severe harm to civilians, especially children, and should be avoided at all costs, the group said.
-Globe Staff
11:05 a.m. ET
Canada evacuates its diplomats to Poland from Ukraine amid Russian invasion
Canada has evacuated all its diplomats from Ukraine, including ambassador Larisa Galadza, as Russia’s invasion proceeds.
The approximately 10 to 14 staff were whisked across the border to neighbouring Poland in the early hours of Russia’s military offensive against Ukraine, a Canadian government source said.
Canada suspended operations at its Kyiv embassy Feb. 12 and a small group of remaining Canadian diplomats then decamped to the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, where they continued operating and processing immigration and visa applications for Ukrainians or Canadians resident in Ukraine.
It’s not known where the Canadian diplomats have relocated to in Poland but Canada’s embassy in Warsaw is an approximately six-hour drive from Lviv.
-Steven Chase
10:49 a.m. ET
Opinion: Ready or not, Canada must now face the crisis in Ukraine head on
Only hours after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau lifted the state of emergency he had declared in order to clear protesters from Ottawa’s streets, Russia invaded Ukraine, fomenting a far worse emergency.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s vicious and unprovoked assault on another European country in a time of peace is the worst collective security crisis of our time. And Canada is completely unprepared.
“What has happened in the last 24 hours is a huge wake-up call” for Canadians, said Stéfanie von Hlatky, director of the Centre for International and Defence Policy at Queen’s University.
Canadians typically are reluctant to spend seriously on defence. But this country, as part of the Western military alliance NATO, is now under threat, not only in the Arctic and in Europe but from cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns.
Now we confront the reality of a Russia bent on reasserting control over what it sees as its sphere of influence. That sphere includes both Eastern Europe, where Canada has NATO commitments, and the Arctic, where Canada and Russia are unfriendly neighbours.
Answering this challenge will require major investments. We are looking at tens of billions of dollars in procurement costs. Are Canadians prepared to bear that cost?
-John Ibbitson
10:26 a.m. ET
Biden to announce new sanctions against Russia after G7 leaders hold emergency meeting
The White House said U.S. President Joe Biden would announce new sanctions against Russia in a speech early Thursday afternoon.
On Thursday morning, he met with his national security council in the White House situation room, followed by a video call with other G7 leaders, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, to co-ordinate their response to the invasion. The President has been briefed by Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and other national security officials throughout the Russian attack, the White House said.
-Adrian Morrow
10:02 a.m. ET
Canadian dollar hits two-month low as Russia attacks Ukraine
The Canadian dollar weakened to its lowest level since December against its U.S. counterpart on Thursday as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine triggered a flight to safety in global financial markets.
Stock markets globally slumped and the safe-haven U.S. dollar rallied after the biggest attack by one country against another in Europe since World War Two.
The Canadian dollar was trading 0.7 per cent lower at 1.2819 to the greenback, or 78.01 U.S. cents, after touching its weakest intraday level since Dec. 27 at 1.2847.
The price of oil, one of Canada’s major exports, climbed 7.60 per cent to $99.10 a barrel as the invasion added to concerns about disruptions to global energy supply.
-Reuters
Apartment buildings in and near Kharkiv, Ukraine were on fire and had extensive blast damage on Feb 24. after witnesses said they were shelled as Russia invades the country.
The Globe and Mail
9:29 a.m. ET
Russia to respond to European, U.S. sanctions in tit-for-tat manner
Russia would respond to European and U.S. sanctions with tit-for-tat measures after Western nations sought to punish Moscow for invading Ukraine, Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, said on Thursday.
-Reuters
9:19 a.m. ET
Ukraine’s foreign minister calls for ‘severe’ sanctions on Russia now
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Thursday told other countries to impose tough sanctions on Russia immediately and to provide Ukraine with military and financial support.
“Right now, Putin is plunging Europe into its darkest time since 1939. Any government hoping to sit this out is naive. Don’t repeat mistakes of the past,” Kuleba said on Twitter.
-Reuters
8:37 a.m. ET
Lithuania declares state of emergency after Russia invades Ukraine
Lithuania’s president declared a state of emergency on Thursday, telling the NATO country’s army to deploy along its borders in response to “possible disturbances and provocations due to large military forces massed in Russia and Belarus.”
The state of emergency, declared hours after Russian forces invaded Ukraine, will be valid for two weeks.
Parliament will meet later on Thursday to vote whether to confirm or export President Gitanas Nauseda decision.
-Reuters
8:25 a.m. ET
France will respond without weakness to Russia’s “act of war” on Ukraine, Macron says
France will respond without weakness to Russia’s act of war against Ukraine, said President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday, adding that Russia could expect tough sanctions that would hit its military, its economy and its energy sector.
“The events of last night mark a turning point in the history of Europe,” said Macron in a televised address to the French nation, standing before French, European Union and Ukranian flags.
“We will respond to this act of war without weakness, with cold blood, determination and unity,” he added.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian had also earlier said that France would reinforce its support to Ukraine “in all its forms,” without further specifying whether or not this could include military means.
-Reuters
8:00 a.m. ET
UEFA to move Champions League final from St. Petersburg in wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, source says
UEFA will move this year’s Champions League final from St. Petersburg in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a source with knowledge of the situation told Reuters on Thursday.
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has called an extraordinary meeting of the Executive Committee on Friday morning and it is expected to agree on moving the final.
The Champions League final, the showcase match in European club football, was set to be held at Zenit St Petersburg’s stadium on May 28 – an event that would have normally drawn thousands of fans from across the continent.
A group of European lawmakers wrote to UEFA on Thursday, asking it to change the venue and to stop considering Russian cities for international football competitions.
-Reuters
7:59 a.m. ET
Ukrainians cross into Poland to face an uncertain future and possibly unwelcome reception
Ukrainian citizens arrive at the main train station in Przemysl, Poland, on Feb. 24 on a route from Odessa via Lviv. The exodus from Ukraine into Poland intensified after Russia’s large-stale attack the night before.Omar Marques/Getty Images
Vitali Koval didn’t waste much time packing suitcases after he heard the air raid sirens blaring early Thursday morning around his home in Lviv in western Ukraine.
He and his wife, Oleksandra, quickly stuffed three big suitcase for themselves and their children, Alisa, 5, and Eleonora, who is three. They jumped in a cab, headed for the Polish border and then walked the last short stretch across the boundary, pulling their bags along the highway.
“There is a big queue of the cars on that side,” said Mr. Koval as he pointed across to Ukraine. “There are huge queues at petrol stations and in the markets. People are buying rice or pasta or something.”
The family had already relocated to Lviv from Kyiv a few days ago and now they hope to stay with friends in Poland until they figure out what to do next.
The Kovals were part of a slow but steady stream of people crossing into Poland from Ukraine Thursday morning, just hours after the Russian military intensified its campaign with bombing raids near Lviv, Kyiv and other parts of the country.
While the numbers were small, the fear and anxiety among many of the arrivals was real.
-Paul Waldie in Przemysl, Poland
Video shot in Boryslav in western Ukraine shows a missile moments before an explosion, and another blast in the distance on Thursday Feb. 24. Boryslav is close to the Polish border where some Ukrainians are fleeing from the Russian invasion of the country.
The Globe and Mail
7:52 a.m. ET
Russian exposed European stocks take hit as West prepares more sanctions
Shares in Russian-exposed companies bore the brunt of selling pressure across European equity markets on Thursday after Russian forces launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Among the hardest hit were shares in London-listed miners Polymetal and Evraz, Polish clothing company LPP, banks Raiffeisen and OTP, and German energy trader Uniper. Their shares were down between 10 and 36% by 9:44 a.m. GMT.
London-listed shares in Russia’s two biggest companies by market value, Sberbank and Gazprom fell as much as 77 per cent and 42 per cent in early trading before recouping some losses. The broader European stock market fell 3 per cent.
-Reuters
7:21 a.m. ET
China rejects calling Russia move ‘invasion,’ urges citizens in Ukraine to stay home
China rejected calling Russia’s moves on Ukraine an “invasion” and urged all sides to exercise restraint, even as it advised its citizens there to stay home or at least take the precaution of displaying a Chinese flag if they needed to drive anywhere.
“China is closely monitoring the latest situation. We call on all sides to exercise restraint to prevent the situation from getting out of control,” said Hua Chunying, spokesperson at China’s foreign ministry.
At a packed daily media briefing in Beijing, Hua bridled at journalists’ characterization of Russia’s actions.
“This is perhaps a difference between China and you Westerners. We won’t go rushing to a conclusion,” she said.
“Regarding the definition of an invasion, I think we should go back to how to view the current situation in Ukraine. The Ukrainian issue has other very complicated historical background that has continued to today. It may not be what everyone wants to see.”
The ministry said later that senior diplomat Wang Yi, also China’s foreign minister, had spoken with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov.
-Reuters
7:22 a.m. ET
U.K. PM Boris Johnson vows massive sanctions against Russia
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Britain and its allies would unleash a massive package of economic sanctions to hobble the Russian economy.
“Today, in concert with our allies, we will agree a massive package of economic sanctions designed in time to hobble the Russian economy,” Johnson said in a televised address to the nation.
He said the West must end its reliance on Russian oil and gas which had given Russian President Vladimir Putin a grip over Western politics: “Our mission is clear: diplomatically, politically, economically, and eventually military, this hideous and barbaric venture of Vladimir Putin must end in failure.”
On Wednesday, Johnson told finance chiefs he wanted to impose the “toughest possible next tranche” of sanctions on Russia, an action he described as being able to “make a difference and change the outcome”.
In earlier comments on Twitter, the British leader called the invasion a “catastrophe” for Europe, and said he would talk to other G7 group of rich nations.
-Reuters
People rest in the Kyiv subway, using it as a bomb shelter after Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine early on Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022.Emilio Morenatti/The Associated Press
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A man kisses a boy who just crossed the border with his relatives on February 24, 2022 in Ubla, Slovakia.Zuzana Gogova/Getty Images
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Police officers inspect the remains of a missile that fell in the street in Kyiv, Ukraine, after Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized a military operation in eastern Ukraine, on February 24, 2022.VALENTYN OGIRENKO/Reuters
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Pixie and Blake, U.S. citizens who did not give their last names, embrace upon reaching the Polish border after fleeing from Lviv, Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.BRYAN WOOLSTON/Reuters
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People queue at an ATM in Lviv, after a Russian invasion of eastern Ukraine commenced on Feb. 24, 2022.PAVLO PALAMARCHUK/Reuters
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Cars queue at a gas station, after Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized a military operation in eastern Ukraine, in Lviv, Ukraine February 24, 2022.PAVLO PALAMARCHUK/Reuters
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Ukrainian military vehicles move past Independence square in central Kyiv on February 24, 2022.DANIEL LEAL/AFP/Getty Images
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People from neighboring Ukraine, rest at a train station hall that was turned into an accommodation center in Przemysl, Poland, on Thursday, Feb. 24 2022.Czarek Sokolowski/The Associated Press
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A woman holds her baby inside a bus as they leave Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022.Emilio Morenatti/The Associated Press
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A slow but steady stream of people cross the border into Medyka, Poland from Ukraine in the hours after bombing started outside Lviv on Thursday.Anna Liminowicz /The Globe and Mail
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People stand around a damaged structure caused by a rocket on February 24, 2022 in Kyiv, Ukraine.Chris McGrath/Getty Images
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People wait at Boryspil International Airport after Russia launched a massive military operation against Ukraine, in Boryspil, Ukraine, on Feb. 24, 2022.UMIT BEKTAS/Reuters
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People lie in the Kyiv subway, using it as a bomb shelter in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022.Emilio Morenatti/The Associated Press
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Firefighters work on a fire on a building after bombings on the eastern Ukraine town of Chuguiv on Feb. 24, 2022.ARIS MESSINIS/AFP/Getty Images
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Black smoke rises from a military airport in Chuguyev near Kharkiv on February 24, 2022.ARIS MESSINIS/AFP/Getty Images
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Hotel residents start their morning in the underground parking garage after airstrikes began in Kyiv, Ukraine on Feb. 24.ANTON SKYBA
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A slow but steady stream of people cross the border into Poland from Ukraine in the hours after bombing started outside Lviv on Thursday.Anna Liminowicz /The Globe and Mail
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A major Kyiv road, which leads to Western Ukraine, is jammed with evacuees on Feb. 24.ANTON SKYBA/The Globe and Mail
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An American woman cries after crossing the border and fleeing the violence in Ukraine, in Medyka, Poland.BRYAN WOOLSTON/Reuters
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Fog covers Kyiv after multiple attacks on on military infrastructure were reported.ANTON SKYBA/The Globe and Mail
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Fleeing Ukraine, the Koval family walked across the Polish-Ukrainian border Thursday morning.Anna Liminowicz /The Globe and Mail
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People wait at a bus station as they attempt to evacuate the city on February 24, 2022 in Kyiv, Ukraine.Pierre Crom/Getty Images
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Traffic jams are seen as people leave the city of Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022.Emilio Morenatti/The Associated Press
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Kyiv residents attempt to leave Kyiv from Central Railway Station despite the shortage of tickets.ANTON SKYBA/The Globe and Mail
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People wait in a traffic jam as they leave the city of Kharkiv, in Eastern Ukraine.ANTONIO BRONIC/Reuters
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People line up at a national bank ATM in Kyiv.ANTON SKYBA/The Globe and Mail
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Damaged radar arrays and other equipment is seen at Ukrainian military facility outside Mariupol, Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022.Sergei Grits/The Associated Press
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Smoke and flame rise near a military building after an apparent Russian strike in Kyiv, Ukraine.Efrem Lukatsky/The Associated Press
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Ukrainian soldiers ride in a military vehicle in Mariupol, Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022.Sergei Grits/The Associated Press
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A local resident sits in a car as they packing to leave the city, after Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized a military operation in eastern Ukraine, in Mariupol, February 24, 2022.CARLOS BARRIA/Reuters
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Ukrainian citizens carry suitcases as they exit a train arriving from Odessa via Lviv at Przemysl main train station on February 24, 2022 in Przemysl, Poland.Omar Marques/Getty Images
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Ukrainian servicemen get ready to repel Russian attack in Ukraine’s Lugansk region on February 24, 2022.ANATOLII STEPANOV/AFP/Getty Images
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Uniformed people throw items into a fire outside an intelligence building on the premises of the Ukrainian Defence Ministry’s unit in Kyiv on February 24, 2022.UMIT BEKTAS/Reuters
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A man stands in front of a Russian Ka-52 helicopter gunship in the field after a forced landing outside Kyiv, Ukraine on February 24, 2022.Efrem Lukatsky/The Associated Press
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A woman walks past debris in the aftermath of Russian shelling as a firefighter works behind her to extinguish flames in Mariupol, Ukraine on February, 24, 2022.Evgeniy Maloletka/The Associated Press
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People take shelter in a subway station in Kyiv on February 24, 2022.VIACHESLAV RATYNSKYI/Reuters
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A car damaged during Russian shelling is seen parked on a street in Mariupol, Ukraine on Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022.Evgeniy Maloletka/The Associated Press
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People rush on a platform to board a Kyiv bound train in Kramatorsk in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine on February 24, 2022.VADIM GHIRDA/The Associated Press
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A person walks past discarded luggage carts at Boryspil International Airport in eastern Ukraine on February 24, 2022.UMIT BEKTAS/Reuters
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A woman and child peer out of the window of a bus as they leave Sievierodonetsk, the Luhansk region in eastern Ukraine, on Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022.Vadim Ghirda/The Associated Press
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7:03 a.m. ET
Ukraine shuts down ports as conflict threatens grain supplies
Ukraine’s military has suspended commercial shipping at its ports after Russian forces invaded the country, an adviser to the Ukrainian president’s chief of staff said, stoking fear of supply disruption from the leading grain and oilseeds exporters.
Russia earlier suspended the movement of commercial vessels in the Azov Sea until further notice, but kept Russian ports in the Black Sea open for navigation, its officials and five grain industry sources said on Thursday.
Ukraine is a major exporter of corn (maize), much of it destined for China and the European Union. It also competes with Russia to supply wheat to major buyers such as Egypt and Turkey.
“The market is still struggling to get a clear picture about the actual military situation on the ground. The ports in the Azov and Black Sea so far seem not to have been damaged according to the initial shipping agency reports,” one European grain trader said.
Shipping group Maersk said on Thursday it has halted all port calls in Ukraine until the end of February and has shut its main office in Odessa on the Black Sea coast, because of the conflict.
-Reuters
6:08 a.m. ET
NATO agrees to beef up eastern flank over Ukraine attack
NATO agreed at emergency talks on Thursday to further beef up its land, sea and air forces on its eastern flank near Ukraine and Russia, putting hundreds of warplanes and ships on alert, after President Vladimir Putin ordered a military offensive in Ukraine.
“We are deploying additional defensive land and air forces to the eastern part of the alliance, as well as additional maritime assets,” NATO ambassadors said in a statement. “We have increased the readiness of our forces to respond to all contingencies.”
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg also said he had convened a virtual emergency summit of the alliance’s 30 nations for Friday, which is set to include U.S. President Joe Biden, and they would be joined by the leaders of Sweden, Finland and European Union institutions.
-The Associated Press
5:06 a.m. ET
Ukrainians flee as Putin warns other countries not to interfere
People wait for buses at a bus station as they attempt to evacuate the city on February 24, 2022 in Kyiv, Ukraine.Pierre Crom/Getty Images
The highways out of Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities were jammed with traffic on Thursday, as thousands of Ukrainians fled their homes in the first hours after a Russian invasion of their country began.
Residents of the Ukrainian capital were awaked by a series of early morning missile and air strikes, followed by the belated sound of an air raid siren. Attacks were reported on cities across the country, with airports and military bases – along with the Black Sea port of Odessa – appearing to be the main target in the first wave.
In a televised address broadcast as the attack began, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned other countries that any attempt to interfere would “lead to consequences you have never seen in history.” He said the aim was to “demilitarize” Ukraine – a country he has sought to portray as a threat to Russia – and said his army didn’t plan to occupy the country.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the war was about more than just this country. He said Mr. Putin “has unleashed a war with Ukraine and the entire democratic world” and “wants to destroy our state, everything that we have built.” He compared the Russian invasion to the attacks that Nazi Germany launched against its neighbours during the Second World War.
-Mark MacKinnon in Kyiv, Nathan VanderKlippe in Odessa, Ukraine
2:54 a.m. ET
EU plans new sanctions against Russia
European Union leaders will impose new sanctions on Russia, freezing its assets, halting its banks’ access to European financial markets and targeting “Kremlin interests” over its “barbaric attack” on Ukraine, senior officials said on Thursday.
An emergency summit will also discuss offering EU candidate status to Ukraine, Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nauseda said, a step Kyiv has long called for, though it may not win approval from all EU leaders.
“President Putin is responsible for bringing war back to Europe,” European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said, adding that the EU would hold him accountable.
“With this package, we will target strategic sectors of the Russian economy by blocking their access to key technologies and markets,” she said in an emergency statement. “We will weaken Russia’s economic base and its capacity to modernize.
Russian assets in the EU would also be frozen and Russian banks’ access to the European financial market would be stopped.
However, cutting Russia off the SWIFT global interbank payments system – one of the toughest, non-military sanctions the West could impose – is unlikely to be agreed at this stage, several EU sources said.
-Reuters
1:55 a.m. ET
Russian military says it has knocked out Ukraine’s air defense assets and airbases
Russia’s Defense Ministry said Russian strikes have damaged Ukraine’s air defense capabilities and have left the infrastructure of the country’s airbases “incapacitated.” The ministry also denied claims that a Russian warplane was shot down over Ukraine.
The Ukrainian military, meanwhile, reported that it has shot down five Russian aircraft while fending off the Russian attack on the country. Russia denies those reports.
-Reuters
12:38 a.m. ET
A meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday night ended with the Ukrainian representative calling for Russia to stop attacks against his country. Sergiy Kyslytsya told his Russian counterpart “there is no purgatory for war criminals, they go straight to hell.”
The Globe and Mail
12:30 a.m. ET
Oil breaches US$100 after Putin declares military operation in Ukraine
Oil prices broke through US$100 early Thursday morning shortly after President Vladimir Putin declared a military operation against Ukraine.
Shortly before dawn European time, Brent crude, the international benchmark, was up 4.4 per cent, and rising fast, taking it to more than US$101 a barrel, a new 52-week high. American oil prices, measured by the West Texas Intermediate benchmark, were up by a similar amount, as were natural gas prices.
Gold was also surging in the flight to safety and it is almost certain that equities will go in the opposite direction, and perhaps plunge, when the markets open. On Thursday, U.S. equity futures were down about 2 per cent and European futures down by about 3 per cent.
-Eric Reguly
12:22 a.m. ET
China’s ambassador to UN responds to Russian attacks on Ukraine
Addressing members of the United Nations Security Council, who were holding an emergency meeting at the same time as Russian troops began entering Ukraine in the early hours of Thursday morning, China’s ambassador urged all sides to “exercise restraint.”
“The situation in Ukraine is at a critical juncture,” ambassador Zhang Jun said. “China has been paying close attention to the situation. In the current context, all parties concerned should exercise restraint, and avoid the further escalation of tensions. We believe that the door to a peaceful solution to the Ukraine issue is not fully shut, nor should it be shut.”
He said that there is a “complex historical context for the Ukraine issue” and the “current situation is a result of the interplay of many factors.”
Chinese state media has so far downplayed the conflict, taking only short reports from the Russian TASS newswire. Videos and photos from Ukraine are spreading on social media in China however, sparking a level of condemnation of Moscow and sympathy for Ukrainians that was not seen prior to now in conversations around the potential for war.
-James Griffiths
12:03 a.m. ET
Interfax news agency reports Russian-backed rebels have started an attack on Ukraine
Russian-backed separatists said on Thursday they had launched an offensive on the Ukrainian-controlled town of Shchastia in the Luhansk province, Russia’s Interfax news agency said, as Russia started a military operation in Ukraine.
-Reuters
Wednesday, Feb, 23
11:43 p.m. ET
Trudeau responds to Russian attacks
Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada calls on Russia to immediately cease all hostile and provocative actions against Ukraine and withdraw all military and proxy forces. Trudeau says Canada condemns in the strongest possible terms Russia’s egregious attack on Ukraine.
-Reuters
11:09 p.m. ET
Russia launches attacks on Ukrainian cities as Putin declares military operation
Explosions could be heard Wednesday in Kyiv, Odessa and several other Ukrainian cities as Russian President Vladimir Putin declared the start of a “special military operation” against Ukraine, the scope of which wasn’t immediately clear.
Several loud explosions could be heard in the directions of Kyiv’s Boryspil airport, shortly after Ukraine announced the closure of its airspace. Blasts were also reported in the eastern Ukrainian cities of Kharkiv and Mariupol.
“I have taken the decision to carry out a special military operation,” Mr. Putin said in a televised address, saying he was forced to act by claims of “genocide” in Ukraine that have been refuted by neutral observers, including the United Nations. “Our plans do not include occupying Ukrainian territory.”
-Mark MacKinnon, Nathan VanderKlippe
11 p.m. ET
Britain says wholly unprovoked attack on Ukraine starting
Britain’s ambassador to Ukraine said a “wholly unprovoked attack” on the country was starting after Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized a special military operation there.
“A wholly unprovoked attack on a peaceful country, Ukraine, is unfolding. Horrified,” British ambassador Melinda Simmons said on Twitter.
-Reuters
10:08 p.m. ET
Putin announces military operation in Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a military operation in Ukraine on Thursday local time, claiming it’s intended to protect civilians.
In a televised address, Putin said the action comes in response to threats coming from Ukraine. He added that Russia doesn’t have a goal to occupy Ukraine. Putin said the responsibility for bloodshed lies with the Ukrainian “regime.”
Putin warned other countries that any attempt to interfere with the Russian action would lead to “consequences they have never seen.”
Putin said in the case of foreign interference, Russia will react immediately, and that circumstances demand decisive action.
-Reuters
9:45 p.m. ET
Ukraine restricts civilian flights in its airspace, citing potential hazard
Ukraine said early on Thursday it had restricted civilian flights in its airspace due to “potential hazard,” hours after a conflict zone monitor warned airlines should stop overflights over the risk of an unintended shootdown or cyber attack.
The notice to airmen from Ukraine’s authorities, issued at 0156 GMT on Thursday, is due to expire at 2359 GMT on Thursday unless extended. It did not specify whether the restriction was a total ban on civilian flights.
An El Al flight from Tel Aviv to Toronto made a sudden U-turn out of Ukraine’s airspace around the time a notice to airmen was issued, citing the restrictions, according to flight tracking website FlightRadar24.
A LOT Polish Airlines flight from Warsaw to Kyiv also turned back to Warsaw around the same time.
-Reuters
9:30 p.m. ET
UN Security Council holds emergency meeting on Ukraine
The UN Security Council is holding an emergency meeting on Ukraine on Wednesday night, just hours after diplomats from dozens of countries take the floor at the General Assembly to deplore Russia’s actions toward the country and plead for diplomacy as fears of a new war in Europe grew.
Citing an “immediate threat of Russian offensive,” Ukraine requested the council session after Russia said that rebels in eastern Ukraine had asked Moscow for military assistance.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is telling Russian President Vladimir Putin to not send Russian troops against Ukraine and “give peace a chance.”
Guterres opened an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council late Wednesday saying the day was full of rumours and indications that an offensive against Ukraine is imminent.
In the recent past, Guterres says, he never believed rumours that Russia would invade Ukraine and was “convinced that nothing serious would happen.”
But, he adds: “I was wrong, and I like not to be wrong again. So if indeed an operation is being prepared I have only one thing to say from the bottom of my heart: Stop your troops from attacking Ukraine. Give peace a chance. Too many people have already died.”
The council, where Russia holds the rotating presidency this month, was meeting just two days after another emergency session saw no support for Russia’s decision to recognize two rebel regions of Ukraine as independent and to order Russian troops there for “peacekeeping.”
– The Associated Press
9:07 p.m. ET
What further Canadian sanctions on Russia will target: oligarchs, banks and exports
Canada warnedthis week it has a package of additional sanctions ready to impose on Russia if Moscow proceeds with a further invasion of Ukraine.
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly has said Ottawa is standing by to “target even more of Russia’s financial sector and oligarchs” as well as “significant announcements related to Canadian 700s to Russia.”
This would be on top of the sanctions against two Russian banks – VEB and PSB – and measures targeting members of Russia’s lower house of parliament announced by Canada in concert with allies on Wednesday.
-Steven Chase
8:55 p.m. ET
Airlines should stop flying over all of Ukraine’s airspace says conflict zone monitor
Safe Airspace, which was set up to provide safety and conflict zone information for airlines after Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine in 2014, said Wednesday that airlines should stop flying over any part of Ukraine because of the risk of an unintended shootdown or a cyber attack targeting air traffic control amid tensions with Russia.
“Regardless of the actual movements of Russian forces into Ukraine, the level of tension and uncertainty in Ukraine is now extreme,” Safe Airspace said on its website. “This itself gives rise to significant risk to civil aviation.”
Russia has closed some airspace in the Rostov flight information region to the east of its border with Ukraine “in order to provide safety” for civil aviation flights, according to a notice to airmen.
Airports at Dnipro, Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia in Ukraine are closed to traffic until Thursday morning, also according to notices to airmen. No reasons were provided for the closures.
The United States, Italy, Canada, France and Britain have advised their airlines to avoid certain airspace above eastern Ukraine and Crimea but so far have stopped short of a total ban. Safeairspace.net said it expected updated guidance could be issued soon.
-Reuters
7:42 p.m. ET
Ukraine’s president pleads for peace in emotional early-morning address
By early morning Ukraine time, the main airports in Eastern Ukraine were closed after warnings were issued to pilots to avoid the airspace. In a video address, Mr. Zelensky said he had tried to call Russian President Vladimir Putin, but the Kremlin had not answered.
“The Ukrainian people want peace,” Mr. Zelensky said after midnight on in Kyiv. He spoke in his native Russian, but acknowledged that it was unlikely most Russians would hear his message via the Kremlin-controlled media. “Any spark,” he warned, “could burn everything down. You are told that this flame will liberate the people of Ukraine, but the Ukrainian people are free.”
– Mark MacKinnon
7:37 p.m. ET
Analysis: Biden touts ‘first tranche’ of sanctions against Russia as toughest measures yet. How effective are they?
When the U.S. government rolled out sanctions on Russia this week, the White House promoted the measures as far tougher than any previously enacted.
But these penalties, announced in concert with other Western allies, including Canada, are relatively mild. They are narrowly targeted at Russian banks and bond issues that don’t have much foreign exposure, as well as a handful of powerful individuals.
President Joe Biden described the measures as a “first tranche” of sanctions, in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin recognizing the independence of two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine and openly sending Russian troops there. The idea, Mr. Biden suggested, was to steadily ramp up the pressure the further Mr. Putin moved into Ukraine.
So far, the West is simply firing a shot across Russia’s bow rather than giving it a full broadside.
-Adrian Morrow
7:07 p.m. ET
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky calls for peace in address to the nation
In an emotional address to the nation late Wednesday, Zelensky rejected Moscow’s claims that his country poses a threat to Russia and lamented that a Russian invasion would cost tens of thousands of lives. “The people of Ukraine and the government of Ukraine want peace,” he said in Russian, hours after declaring a nationwide state of emergency. But if the nation comes under an attack, “we will fight back.” Zelensky said he tried to call Putin, but the Kremlin remained silent.
– The Associated Press
6:10 p.m. ET
Ukraine’s president says Russia has approved an offensive against Ukraine
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky says Russia approved offensive against Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin did not reply to invitation for talks.
-Reuters
6:03 p.m. ET
U.S. Congress backs Biden on Russia sanctions, urge tougher and swifter measures
President Joe Biden has acknowledged the growing likelihood of a new war in Eastern Europe will affect Americans even if U.S. troops don’t deploy to Ukraine.The Associated Press
With rare but fragile alignment, the U.S. Congress is largely backing President Joe Biden’s decision to confront Russia with potentially escalating sanctions for the crisis in Ukraine as lawmakers brace for perhaps the most daunting foreign policy crisis the nation has faced in a generation.
But the next steps are highly volatile.
With isolationist impulses rising at home, Congress has no appetite for war. Yet Americans also appear ambivalent about the U.S. working to keep the peace.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Wednesday that Russia’s aggression toward Ukraine is “an attack on democracy,” vowing that the U.S. will stand united with its allies around the world in swiftly imposing sanctions on Russia and ensuring financial and political support for an independent Ukraine.
– The Associated Press
5:33 p.m. ET
Ukraine’s decision to remove nuclear arsenal ‘huge mistake,’ final commander says, as Russia deploys troops
A console equipped to launch 10 nuclear missiles at a Soviet-era command centre near Pervomais’k, Ukraine, in what was a highly-secretive facility before Ukraine denuclearized near Pervomais’k, Ukraine on Feb. 23, 2022.Nathan VanderKlippe/The Globe and Mail
When Ukraine was a Soviet republic, roughly a third of the Soviet nuclear arsenal was positioned on Ukrainian soil, with about 1,900 strategic nuclear warheads and thousands of tactical nuclear weapons left in the country at independence.
After independence in 1991, Ukraine briefly had the third-largest nuclear arsenal after the U.S. and Russia – until it agreed to remove them all in exchange for assurances that its borders would remain inviolate.
Now, with Russian troops once again entering the country, those who once had their hands on the nuclear arsenal are asking pointed questions about the wisdom of that decision.
– Nathan VanderKlippe
5:21 p.m. ET
Global equities sell off on escalating Russia-Ukraine fears
Investors around the world lost their appetite for risk on Wednesday with stocks selling off and the U.S. dollar gaining ground as Ukraine declared a state of emergency amid intensifying fears of a full-scale Russian invasion.
Trading in both riskier and safe-haven assets has been volatile since Russian President Vladimir Putin’s dispatch of troops earlier this week into parts of Ukraine, which in turn triggered sanctions from Western countries and the threat of more to come if Moscow advances further.
The S&P/TSX composite index lost 163.65 points, or 0.78%, at 20,744.17. It rose to a high of 20,996.07 in early trading before sliding through the session. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 459.12 points, or 1.37%, to 33,137.49.
-Reuters
4:27 p.m. ET
Ukraine’s Parliament approves state of emergency
Ukraine declared a state of emergency and reservists began reporting to their units Wednesday as President Volodymyr Zelensky’s government braced this country for a Russian assault that seems increasingly likely.
After weeks of questioning Western intelligence reports that suggested Russian President Vladimir Putin was planning a large-scale invasion of Ukraine, Mr. Zelensky and his officials have shifted in recent days to preparing for war.
The 30-day state of emergency will see additional police deployed into the streets and around critical infrastructure, as well as giving them powers to stop people and demand to see their documents. The measures were approved by parliament, which is controlled by Mr. Zelensky’s party, and are expected to come into force Thursday.
“These are preventive issues so that the country remains calm and the economy works,” said Oleksiy Danilov, head of the country’s National Security and Defence Council, in a statement. He said Russia was seeking “to achieve [its] goal through internal destabilization.”
– Mark MacKinnon
3:32 p.m. ET
Russia’s markets suffer record rout
The Russian ruble hit a near two-year low past 81 to the dollar as sanctions and invasion fears hammered Russian assets, with bonds and stocks feeling the force of investor jitters.
Western nations responded to President Vladimir Putin’s recognition of separatist enclaves in the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine and subsequent orders to send in “peacekeeping” troops with plans to target banks and elites. Germany froze a major gas pipeline project from Russia, and London and Washington targeted Russian debt.
Ukraine declared a state of emergency and told its citizens in Russia to flee, while Moscow began evacuating its Kyiv embassy in the latest ominous sign for Ukrainians who fear an all-out Russian military onslaught.
By 5 p.m. local time, the ruble was 2.5 per cent weaker against the dollar at 80.77, earlier sinking to 81.0025, its weakest point since March 23, 2020.
The sharp drop in the ruble from levels around 70 to the greenback seen four months ago is expected to fuel already high inflation, one of the main concerns among Russians, which would dent the country’s already falling living standards.
– Reuters
2:15 p.m. ET
Putin’s assault on Ukraine is ‘attack on democracy,’ U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, joined at left by Rep. Eric Swalwell, holds a news conference at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday.J. Scott Applewhite/The Associated Press
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Wednesday that Russian aggression toward Ukraine is “an attack on democracy,” vowing that the U.S. will stand united with its allies around the world in swiftly imposing sanctions on Russia and ensuring financial and political support for an independent Ukraine.
Pelosi, who returned to the Capitol from a diplomatic overseas trip, compared the aggression to Russia’s intervention in the United States’ own democratic process during the 2016 election.
“There will be a price to pay for Vladimir Putin,” she said, flanked by lawmakers who had joined her delegation at the annual security conference in Munich.
Pelosi said the Russian president is one of the richest men in the world and warned that the sanctions being imposed by the U.S. and its allies are only the start of what is possible to inflict financial pain on his regime. “We’re doing this together,” she said.
– The Associated Press
2:09 p.m. ET
U.S. to impose sanctions on company building Russia’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline, President Joe Biden says
U.S. President Joe Biden is pictured at Camp David, Md., on Feb. 12.The Associated Press
U.S. President Joe Biden said on Wednesday his administration will impose sanctions on Nord Stream 2 AG, the company in charge of building Russia’s Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.
“Today, I have directed my administration to impose sanctions on Nord Stream 2 AG and its corporate officers,” Biden said in a statement released by the White House.
– Reuters
1:42 p.m. ET
Berlin and Paris illuminate buildings in Ukrainian colours in show of unity
A woman takes a photo of the Brandenburg Gate after it was illuminated in the colours of the Ukrainian flag to show solidarity with the country during the tensions with Russia in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday.Markus Schreiber/The Associated Press
The German capital lit up the Brandenburg Gate, Berlin’s most famous landmark in blue and yellow, the national colours of Ukraine, on Wednesday evening in a show of unity with Kyiv as the crisis with Russia deepens.
In Paris, authorities lit City Hall, seat of the mayor and local administration, in the same colours to also show their support.
Berlin, which represented the front line during the Cold War until the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, was sending a clear signal for a free and sovereign Ukraine, said its government.
“We are showing our solidarity with the people of Ukraine, the many Berliners with Ukrainian roots but also with the many Russians who want peace in Russia and Ukraine,” Berlin Mayor Franziska Giffey said in a statement.
“They all want nothing more than an end to the escalation and a peaceful settlement to this threatening conflict,” she added.
– Reuters
12:57 p.m. ET
Ukraine says another cyberattack under way as state websites and banks hit
The Ukrainian government said it was the target of another massive denial of service (DDoS) attack that began at around 4 p.m. on Wednesday.
Ukrainian authorities said this week they had seen online warnings that hackers were preparing to launch major attacks on government agencies, banks and the defence sector.
Ukraine has suffered a string of cyberattacks that Kyiv has blamed on Russia. Moscow, which is caught up in a mounting confrontation with the West over Ukraine, has denied any involvement.
“At about 4 p.m., another mass DDoS attack on our state began. We have relevant data from a number of banks,” said Mykhailo Fedorov, Minister of Digital Transformation, adding that the parliament website was also hit.
– Reuters
12:33 p.m. ET
Two convoys of military equipment from Russian border heading toward Donetsk, in eastern Ukraine, according to a witness
An image obtained from amateur footage shot on Feb. 22, 2022, by Public Movement “Donetsk Republic” shows a convoy of cars bearing Russian flags driving through the streets of Donetsk, a day after the Russian president recognized the east Ukraine separatist regions of Donetsk and Lugansk as independent statelets. (AFP Photo/Public Movement “Donetsk Republic”)-/AFP/Getty Images
Two separate convoys of military equipment with no identifiable insignia were moving toward the city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine along different roads from the direction of the Russian border, a Reuters witness reported today.
One convoy included nine tanks and an infantry fighting vehicle, while the other was made up of trucks and fuel tankers, said the reporter, who was in the territory of two Russia-backed rebel regions recognized as independent by Moscow on Monday.
– Reuters
12:07 p.m. ET
European sanctions on Russia come into force
Ukrainian police officers stand guard in front of the Russian Embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday. Ukraine urged its citizens to leave Russia as Europe braced for further confrontation Wednesday after Russia’s leader received authorization to use military force outside his country and the West responded with a raft of sanctions.Emilio Morenatti/The Associated Press
They are the first steps in a planned series of retaliatory measures devised to be cranked up if Russian President Vladimir Putin orders an attack or pushes his troops deeper into Ukraine.
The sanctions that took effect Wednesday targeted senior Russian government officials, several companies and hundreds of lawmakers who voted in favour of recognizing the independence of separatist parts of southeast Ukraine.
The sanctions are mostly a freeze on the assets of senior Russian government officials and a ban on them travelling in the 27-nation EU.
The measures come on top of a slew of economic and other sanctions slapped on Russia since it annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in 2014.
– The Associated Press
10:46 a.m. ET
Russia begins evacuating embassy in Ukraine after Putin receives parliamentary power to send troops abroad
Russian armored vehicles are loaded onto railway platforms at a railway station in region not far from Russia-Ukraine border, in the Rostov-on-Don region, Russia.The Associated Press
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Russian military trucks and buses are seen on the side of a road in Russia’s southern Rostov region, which borders the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic.STRINGER/AFP/Getty Images
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Customers stand in line at a gun shop in Kyiv amid rising demand for bullets and weapons.ANTON SKYBA/The Globe and Mail
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Ukrainian servicemen eat dinner after their duty at the frontline near Svitlodarsk, eastern Ukraine.Evgeniy Maloletka/The Associated Press
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A woman crosses the contact line between pro-Moscow rebels and Ukrainian troops as Ukrainian border guard guards in the settlement of Stanytsia Luhanska.GLEB GARANICH/Reuters
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A man walks a dog along a coast of the Sea of Azov in Ukraine’s industrial port city of Mariupol.ALEKSEY FILIPPOV/AFP/Getty Images
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A Ukrainian serviceman stands at his position at the line of separation between Ukraine-held territory and rebel-held territory near Svitlodarsk, eastern Ukraine.Evgeniy Maloletka/The Associated Press
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Ukrainian reservist 28-year-old Anton Lytvyn packs his military equipment at his house as his pet Chinchilla “Chuchu” watches on from his cage after he was called up to active duty in Kyiv.Chris McGrath/Getty Images
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A woman crosses into Ukrainian-held territory near Shchastya from the separatist Luhansk region that has been recognized by Russia as independent.LYNSEY ADDARIO/The New York Times News Service
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Evacuees board a train at a railway station before leaving the separatist-controlled town of Makiivka outside Donetsk, Ukraine.ALEXANDER ERMOCHENKO/Reuters
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Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate was illuminated in the colours of the Ukrainian flag to show solidarity with the country during the tensions with Russia.Markus Schreiber/The Associated Press
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Demonstrators hold placards and flags as they attend a protest outside the Russian Embassy, in London.Alberto Pezzali/The Associated Press
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U.S. Army soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division, deployed to Poland to reassure NATO allies, at an airbase, near Arlamow Poland.KACPER PEMPEL/Reuters
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Crosses installed during a protest against Russia’s actions in the separatist-controlled Donbas region of Ukraine are seen outside the Russian embassy in Kyiv.VALENTYN OGIRENKO/Reuters
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Police officers and members of the Ukrainian National Guard arrive at the Russian embassy in Kyiv on Wednesday.VALENTYN OGIRENKO/Reuters
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A police officer and members of the Ukrainian National Guard outside the Russian embassy in Kyiv.VALENTYN OGIRENKO/Reuters
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Workers unload material from a diplomatic vehicle inside the compound of the Russian Embassy in Kyiv.DANIEL LEAL/AFP/Getty Images
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Workers leave the Russian Embassy in Kyiv with their materials. Moscow’s foreign ministry Sergey Lavrov announced it would evacuate diplomats from the country soon, saying this was to “protect their lives”.DANIEL LEAL/AFP/Getty Images
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (C) and his counterparts Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda (R) and Polish President Andrzej Duda pose with signed documents at a press conference on Wednesday.SERGEI SUPINSKY/AFP/Getty Images
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Militants of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic stand outside a military mobilization point in the separatist-controlled city of Donetsk, Ukraine.ALEXANDER ERMOCHENKO/Reuters
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Ukrainian frontier guard patrols an area along the Ukrainian-Russian border in the Kharkiv region of Ukraine.ANTONIO BRONIC/Reuters
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A Ukrainian frontier guard checks a man’s documents at the Hoptivka (Goptovka) crossing on the Ukrainian-Russian border in the Kharkiv region on Wednesday.ANTONIO BRONIC/Reuters
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Citizens collect water from a well in the town of Schastia, near the eastern Ukraine city of Lugansk, on February 23, 2022, after the town’s pump stations were knocked out of power by shelling.ANATOLII STEPANOV/AFP/Getty Images
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Ukrainian servicemen wait till mortar attack is over at their position on the front line with Russia-backed separatists near the town of Schastia.ANATOLII STEPANOV/AFP/Getty Images
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Ukrainian servicemen on the front line with Russia-backed separatists near the town of Schastia, near the eastern Ukraine city of Lugansk, on Wednesday.ANATOLII STEPANOV/AFP/Getty Images
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People leave Ukraine through the Hoptivka (Goptovka) crossing on the Ukrainian-Russian border in the Kharkiv region.ANTONIO BRONIC/Reuters
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Vehicles line up to a gasoline station in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022.Efrem Lukatsky/The Associated Press
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A family takes shelter in a metro station in Kyiv early on February 24, 2022. Air raid sirens rang out in downtown Kyiv on Thursday as cities across Ukraine were hit with what Ukrainian officials said were Russian missile strikes and artillery.DANIEL LEAL/AFP/Getty Images
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Girls hold their mobile phone as they take refuge in a metro station in Kyiv in the morning of February 24, 2022. Air raid sirens rang out in downtown Kyiv today as cities across Ukraine were hit with what Ukrainian officials said were Russian missile strikes and artillery.DANIEL LEAL/AFP/Getty Images
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People queue at an ATM after Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized a military operation in eastern Ukraine, in Mariupol, February 24, 2022.CARLOS BARRIA/Reuters
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Russia began evacuating its embassy in Kyiv, and Ukraine urged its citizens to leave Russia on Wednesday as the region braced for further confrontation after President Vladimir Putin received authorization to use military force outside his country and the West responded with sanctions.
– The Associated Press
8:55 a.m. ET
Ukraine will ask Turkey to close Black Sea access to Russia if war breaks out, ambassador says
Ukraine views the presence of Russian warships near its borders in the Black Sea as a threat and will ask Turkey to consider shutting two waterways to Russian vessels if Moscow invades, Ukrainian Ambassador to Turkey Vasyl Bodnar said on Wednesday.
Russian’s recognition of two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine this week has prompted a swift backlash and sanctions from Western powers. Turkey, which borders both Ukraine and Russia in the Black Sea, is against sanctions in principle, but has called Russia’s move unacceptable.
Earlier this month, six Russian warships and a submarine transited the Dardanelles and Bosphorus straits to the Black Sea for what Moscow called naval drills near Ukraine waters.
Asked about the presence of Russian warships near Ukrainian borders, Bodnar told Reuters in an interview that the vessels posed “a great danger” for Kyiv, adding the Russian naval concentration in the Black Sea was “overwhelming”.
“We believe that, in case of a wide military invasion or the starting of military activities against Ukraine – when the war becomes not only de facto but de jure – we will ask the Turkish government to consider the possibility of closing the Black Sea straits for the aggressor state,” he said.
– Reuters
8:33 a.m. ET
Russia evacuating embassy in Ukraine as crisis escalates
Russia began evacuating its embassy in Kyiv, and Ukraine urged its citizens to leave Russia on Wednesday as the region braced for further confrontation after President Vladimir Putin received authorization to use military force outside his country and the West responded with sanctions.
Russia began pulling personnel from its diplomatic posts in Ukraine, state news agency Tass reported, a day after the Foreign Ministry announced a plan to evacuate, citing threats. By Wednesday afternoon, the Russian flag was no longer flying over the embassy in Kyiv, according to an Associated Press photographer. Police surrounded the building.
After weeks of trying to project calm, Ukrainian authorities also signalled increasing concern on Wednesday. The Foreign Ministry advised against travel to Russia and recommended anyone there leave immediately, saying Moscow’s “aggression” could lead to a significant reduction in consular services.
– The Associated Press
Where are Russian and NATO troops?
RUSSIA POSITIONS
(as of Feb. 18)
Multinational
battle groups
Claimed by
separatists,
held by Ukraine
Transnistria:
Russian-backed
breakaway region
of Moldova
Held by
pro-Russian
separatists
Craiova:
NATO multinational
brigade 4,000 troops
Sevastopol:
Russian Black
Sea Fleet HQ
Crimea:
Annexed by
Russia in 2014
Deveselu:
NATO missile
defence system
THE GLOBE AND MAIL, SOURCE: GRAPHIC NEWS
RUSSIA POSITIONS
(as of Feb. 18)
Multinational
battle groups
Claimed by
separatists,
held by Ukraine
Transnistria:
Russian-backed
breakaway region
of Moldova
Held by
pro-Russian
separatists
Craiova:
NATO multinational
brigade 4,000 troops
Sevastopol:
Russian Black
Sea Fleet HQ
Crimea:
Annexed by
Russia in 2014
Deveselu:
NATO missile
defence system
THE GLOBE AND MAIL, SOURCE: GRAPHIC NEWS
RUSSIA POSITIONS
(as of Feb. 18)
Multinational
battle groups
Claimed by
separatists,
held by Ukraine
Transnistria:
Russian-backed
breakaway region
of Moldova
Held by
pro-Russian
separatists
Craiova:
NATO multinational
brigade 4,000 troops
Sevastopol:
Russian Black
Sea Fleet HQ
Crimea:
Annexed by
Russia in 2014
Deveselu:
NATO missile
defence system
THE GLOBE AND MAIL, SOURCE: GRAPHIC NEWS
7:51 a.m. ET
Ukraine to impose state of emergency but no martial law yet
Ukraine will introduce a nationwide state of emergency in which special restrictions will apply in order to keep the country calm and protect its economy amid fears of a Russian invasion, a senior Ukrainian security official said on Wednesday.
The state of emergency will last for 30 days and can be extended for another 30 days, Oleksiy Danilov told a briefing. Parliament must now vote to enact the decision.
Introducing a state of emergency gives powers to the authorities, who can choose which ones to implement. These could include restrictions on transport, extra protection for critical infrastructure and a ban on strikes.
Regional authorities can make decisions on whether to introduce curfews and other measures, Danilov said.
“These are preventive measures to keep calm in the country, so that our economy and our country can work,” Danilov said.
“Depending on the threats that may arise in certain territories, there will be either a more strengthened or more weakened state of emergency. We are talking about border areas where we have a border with the Russian Federation, with Belarus,” he said.
Ukraine has introduced a series of measures including the conscription of reservists as it braces for a possible military offensive from Russia, which sent troops into eastern Ukraine this week to prop up two breakaway regions.
– Reuters
7:10 a.m. ET
U.S. and its allies seek to step up sanctions pressure on Russia over Ukraine crisis
The United States and its allies sought on Wednesday to step up sanctions pressure on Russia over the deployment of troops in separatist regions of eastern Ukraine, in one of the worst security crises in Europe in decades.
The Ukrainian military said one soldier had been killed and six wounded in increased shelling by pro-Russian separatists using heavy artillery, mortar bombs and Grad rocket systems in the two breakaway regions over the previous 24 hours.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has massed more than 150,000 troops near Ukraine’s borders, according to U.S. estimates, and signed a decree on the deployment of troops in the breakaway Donetsk and Luhansk enclaves to “keep the peace” – a justification the United States says is “nonsense.”
Putin on Monday recognized the separatist enclaves in the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine which adjoin Russia, deepening Western fears of a major war in Europe by raising the prospect of a full-scale invasion beyond the breakaway areas.
The United States, the European Union, Britain, n, Canada and Japan responded with plans to target banks and elites while Germany froze a major gas pipeline project from Russia.
– Reuters
6:48 a.m. ET
Oil prices fall as Russia, Ukraine supply fears wane
Oil prices fell on Wednesday, retreating from seven-year highs hit the previous day as it became clear that the first wave of U.S. and European sanctions on Russia were unlikely to disrupt oil supplies.
Brent crude was down 59 cents, or 0.6 per cent, to $96.25 a barrel at 10:27 GMT, after hitting $99.50 on Tuesday, the highest since September 2014.
U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fell 76 cents, or 0.8 per cent, to $91.15 a barrel, after reaching $96 on Tuesday.
Prices jumped on Tuesday on worries that Western sanctions on Russia for sending troops into two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine could hit energy supplies.
However, analysts expect oil prices to continue seeing a level of support from the Russia-Ukraine crisis for the time being, with some Western countries promising to impose more sanctions if Russia launches a full invasion of its neighbour.
– Reuters
6 a.m. ET
Opinion: In Ukraine, Soviet nostalgist Vladimir Putin is trying to rewrite history
It is still unclear how far Russian President Vladimir Putin is willing to go in Ukraine, but in a televised address from the Kremlin on Monday, he gave a one-hour lecture on the history – his version – of the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union and the post-Soviet Union. It might as well have been titled, “Russia is Real, Ukraine is a Fiction.”
Mr. Putin has been cagey about his plans in Ukraine. He issues ultimatums that cannot be met, then engages in talks. He masses troops at the border, then says he will never invade.
On Tuesday he continued the game, authorizing the sending of troops into two enclaves in Ukraine already effectively occupied by Russian forces, but saying that he had yet to send them in. It is unclear what the man who took three bites out of Ukraine in 2014, and has waged a low-intensity war inside the Ukrainian regions of Luhansk and Donetsk ever since, intends to do next.
Held by pro-Russian separatists
Claimed by separatists, held by Ukraine
Annexed by Russia in 2014
MURAT YÜKSELIR / THE GLOBE AND MAIL, SOURCE:
TILEZEN; OPENSTREETMAP CONTRIBUTORS
Held by pro-Russian separatists
Claimed by separatists, held by Ukraine
Annexed by Russia in 2014
MURAT YÜKSELIR / THE GLOBE AND MAIL, SOURCE:
TILEZEN; OPENSTREETMAP CONTRIBUTORS
Claimed by separatists,
held by Ukraine
Held by pro-Russian
separatists
Annexed by Russia in 2014
MURAT YÜKSELIR / THE GLOBE AND MAIL, SOURCE: TILEZEN; OPENSTREETMAP CONTRIBUTORS; REUTERS
But in Monday’s speech, he made it clear how he would remake the region if he faced as little opposition beyond Russia as within. He would absorb Ukraine, all of it, and likely the other former states of the Soviet Union, too.
– The Editorial Board
6 a.m. ET
Analysis: From Trump to Putin, the Age of Disruption is now under way
Now the Age of Disruption has extended its reach into global politics.
Its first elements were visible five years ago, when a new American President – impatient with customs and convention, contemptuous of experts and of the bromides of the past, sure of his own vision and disdainful of the homilies of experts – questioned the pinions of domestic and international politics, the very flying buttresses that supported three-quarters of a century of relative peace and unprecedented prosperity.
This week, we are witnessing the denouement of a disquieting second act, when a Russian President – resentful of the institutions that constricted his homeland even as it allowed its Cold War rivals to prosper, affronted by the Western diplomatic practices that had morphed into traditions, impatient with the fealty that world leaders paid to the maestros of the classical symphonies of statecraft – shattered all the rituals of global behaviour, sent troops into the two separatist territories of Donetsk and Luhansk, and defied anyone to stop him, in what Joe Biden described in remarks Tuesday as a “flagrant violation of international law.”
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin may not have had a real alliance, but the two of them – their actions animated by their grievances, their outlooks underpinned by “truths” unsupported by verifiable facts – are twin forces on the global stage, the natural political progeny of a period of disruption that has altered how business is conducted, how news and information are transmitted, and how entertainment is produced and sold.
– David Shribman
More reading:
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Russia-Ukraine: Canada’s new sanctions, Ukraine loses control of Chernobyl | The Star
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We don’t support this war, it is being waged not on our behalf,” Litvinovich said. “,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”isHeading”:false},{“type”:”slimcut”},{“text”:”But the authorities were having none of that. “,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”isHeading”:false},{“text”:”In Moscow and other cities, they moved swiftly to crack down on critical voices. Litvinovich was detained outside of her residence shortly after posting the protest call. OVD-Info, a rights group that tracks political arrests, reported that 1,702 people in 53 cities had been detained by Thursday evening, at least 940 of them in Moscow.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”isHeading”:false},{“type”:”ad”,”heading”:”ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW”,”name”:”ArticleThirdBigBox”,”display”:”medium-down”,”pos”:”3″,”interstitial”:true,”sizes”:[[300,250]]},{“captionPosition”:”overlay”,”origImageSize”:”1200×800″,”fullWindowGenericImage”:false,”lastmodified”:1645736096404,”forceoriginal”:false,”caption”:”People stand around a damaged structure caused by a rocket on February 24, 2022 in Kyiv, Ukraine. Overnight, Russia began a large-scale attack on Ukraine, with explosions reported in multiple cities and far outside the restive eastern regions held by Russian-backed rebels.”,”type”:”genericimage”,”credit”:”Chris McGrath/Getty 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Investigative Committee issued a warning Thursday afternoon reminding Russians that unauthorized protests are against the law. “,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”isHeading”:false},{“text”:”Roskomnadzor, state communications and media watchdog, demanded that Russian media use “information and data they get only from official Russian sources.” Some media reported that employees of certain state-funded companies were instructed not to comment publicly on the events in Ukraine. “,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”isHeading”:false},{“text”:”Human rights advocates warned of a new wave of repression on dissent. “,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”isHeading”:false},{“text”:”“There will be new (criminal) cases involving subverters, spies, treason, prosecution for antiwar protests, there will be detentions of journalists and bloggers, those who authored critical posts on social media, bans on investigations of the situation in the army and so on,” prominent human rights advocate Pavel Chikov wrote on Facebook. “,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”isHeading”:false},{“text”:””It is hard to say how big this new wave will be, given that everything has been suppressed already.” “,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”isHeading”:false},{“text”:”Despite the pressure from the authorities, more than 1,000 people gathered in the center of Moscow Thursday evening, chanting “No to war!” as passing cars honked their horns. “,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”isHeading”:false},{“type”:”textBreakPoint”,”insertAt”:”contentLongBreakPoint”},{“text”:”Hundreds also took to the streets in St. Petersburg and dozens in Yekaterinburg. “,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”isHeading”:false},{“text”:”“This is the most shameful and terrible day in my life. I even was not able to go to work. My country is an aggressor. I hate Putin. What else should be done to make people open their eyes?” Yekaterina Kuznetsova, 40-year-old engineer who joined the demonstration in St. Petersburg, told the AP. “,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”isHeading”:false},{“text”:”Russia’s official line in the meantime remained intransigent. Speaker of the upper house of parliament, Valentina Matviyenko charged that those who spoke out against the attack were only caring about their “momentary problems.””,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”isHeading”:false},{“text”:”State TV painted the attack in line with what Putin said in his televised address announcing it. “,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”isHeading”:false},{“text”:”Russia 1 TV host Olga Skabeyeva called it an effort “to protect people in Donbas from a Nazi regime” and said it was “without exaggeration, a crucial junction in history.” “,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”isHeading”:false},{“text”:”3:55 p.m. Ukraine’s Health Minister Viktor Lyashko says 57 Ukrainians have been killed as a result of the Russian invasion, and 169 more were wounded. “,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”isHeading”:false},{“text”:”Lyashko also said Thursday that Ukraine’s authorities are repurposing the country’s health care facilities to make room for those who need medical assistance because of the hostilities.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”isHeading”:false},{“text”:”3:49 p.m. “I love you, I’m sorry. May God save you.””,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”isHeading”:false},{“text”:”That was the text Khrystyna Riazantseva saw when she woke up Thursday morning. It was a message from her mom, who lives in Tal’ne, a small town in central Ukraine.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”isHeading”:false},{“text”:”She was startled by the unexpected message. Riazantseva immediately called her mother, more than 7,000 kilometres away, to ask what was happening. Her mother broke the news: the war had just started.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”isHeading”:false},{“text”:”Riazantseva, a Toronto-based photographer, is one of thousands of Ukrainian-Canadians who woke up to the news that Russia had launched a wide-ranging attack on Ukraine. In less than 24 hours, the “special military operation,” as Russian President Vladimir Putin described it, had killed more than 40 Ukrainian soldiers and left dozens wounded.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”isHeading”:false},{“text”:”Explosions could be heard in cities across Ukraine, including the capital, Kyiv. Officials in the country also said they have lost control of the Chernobyl nuclear site.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”isHeading”:false},{“id”:”1496838415182344193″,”type”:”twitter_tweet”},{“text”:”Riazantseva has been following the situation closely on social media.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”isHeading”:false},{“text”:”Read the full story here by the Star’s Joshua Chong and Alex McKeen. “,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”isHeading”:false},{“text”:”3:39 p.m. Russia’s attack on Ukraine is putting even greater pressure on an already surging oil price environment and that will cost Canadians more at the pump.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”isHeading”:false},{“text”:”Roger McKnight, chief petroleum analyst at En-Pro International Inc. expects gas prices across the country will rise five cents per litre on Saturday.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”isHeading”:false},{“text”:”He says drivers who fill up occasionally have hours to avoid extra costs but there’s not much that can be done for those who fill up daily.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”isHeading”:false},{“text”:”The high demand for oil combined with a shortage of supply have been pushing oil prices, and consequently, gas prices up for weeks.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”isHeading”:false},{“text”:”The benchmark West Texas Intermediate price is sitting at US$96 per barrel after briefly trading above US$100 per barrel this morning. Brent Crude has fallen slightly to US$103 a barrel, after topping US$105 a barrel earlier — the first time since 2014.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”isHeading”:false},{“text”:”Even if U.S. President Joe Biden attempts to intervene to calm oil prices the situation could get worse, according to McKnight.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”isHeading”:false},{“text”:”“OPEC+ is really Saudi Arabia and Russia together and if President Biden puts pressure on Saudi Arabia to get more crude into the system to lower prices, that’s just going to upset Russia even further and they may even shut down supply completely,” McKnight says.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”isHeading”:false},{“text”:”3:28 p.m. European Union leaders have agreed to impose sanctions against Russia that will have “massive and severe consequences.””,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”isHeading”:false},{“duration”:””,”fullWindowYoutube”:false,”uploadDate”:””,”thumbnailSize”:””,”youtubeTags”:””,”registeredOnly”:false,”description”:””,”youtubeid”:”jtXxzD4xkyE”,”type”:”youtube”,”title”:””,”thumbnailUrl”:””,”channelTitle”:””},{“text”:”During an emergency summit Thursday to condemn the invasion of Ukraine, the 27 member countries’ leaders approved punitive measures against Russia’s financial, energy and transport sectors and restrictions on exports and financing. They also added more Russian individuals to its earlier sanctions list.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”isHeading”:false},{“text”:”The sanctions must still be legally approved and published before they become effective.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”isHeading”:false},{“text”:”The EU leaders say they also want to draw up sanctions against Belarus because of its close links to Russia.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”isHeading”:false},{“text”:”3:25 p.m. For those that haven’t been following closely up to now, here’s a primer on the situation in Ukraine.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”isHeading”:false},{“text”:”Canadians woke Thursday morning to the news that, after a weeks-long military buildup at the border, Russian troops had invaded Ukraine.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”isHeading”:false},{“text”:”For weeks, tensions — already high after the 2014 Crimean occupation by Russia — have grown in Ukraine as Russian troops rattled their sabres at their border.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”isHeading”:false},{“text”:”Diplomacy and economic sanctions from the West failed to defuse the situation. Russian President Vladimir Putin demanded assurances that Ukraine would not join NATO, though there seemed to be little indication that that was imminent.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”isHeading”:false},{“text”:”On Thursday, missiles began raining down on Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, and Russian troops poured into the country by land, sea and air from the north, east and south. Sirens blared across Kyiv, and the streets were clogged with traffic as residents tried to flee the city.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”isHeadingR